


What The Hell

by xxxMiaHikarixxx



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Bronzeshipping, M/M, Puzzleshipping, Tendershipping, puppyshipping - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-17
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2018-09-25 04:08:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 69,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9802028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxxMiaHikarixxx/pseuds/xxxMiaHikarixxx
Summary: Yugi is in love with his best friend, Yami, but Tea makes him her boyfriend before Yugi even has a chance to confess to him. Now, months later, when Yami doesn't even talk to Yugi because of some rumors, the gang is ready to bring happiness back to Yugi's life. Find out why the gang is so protective of Yugi and what they plan to do.





	1. Chapter 1

What the Hell

I don’t own Yu-Gi-Oh, even though I wish I did so I could play with its characters again and again. This story came to me while I was listening to Avril Lavigne’s What the Hell. It takes a while to understand where the inspiration comes from, but just stay with me.   
I have also uploaded this story in ff.net. It was supposed to be a one-shot story but I wanted to give the story a decent background and then I was on a roll. I hope you will enjoy it.   
For the Yamis’ surnames I needed to play a bit with their stories. I played a lot with the characters and had much fun. I hope you will have fun too.

 

Chapter 1: 

 

Amethyst eyes looked up at the night sky, the moonlight reflecting in the purple pools of innocence. Their owner, a sixteen years old boy named Yugi Muto, loved the sight of the moon. It reminded him of the person he considered his other half, a boy named Yami Sennen. It wasn’t just that Yami looked so much like Yugi that everyone mistaken them for brothers but also the fact Yugi felt Yami completed him perfectly. Yugi was kindness where Yami was courage. Yugi was light where Yami was darkness. Yami was the only darkness that could affect Yugi’s light, but Yugi didn’t know if it was the other way around with Yami. It didn’t seem like it was. Yami was barely a year older than him but was taller than Yugi who always looked younger than his age. Where Yugi’s eyes were round and full of innocence, Yami’s where sharp crimson pools that magnetized you. Yugi gave an air of trust while Yami of power. Yugi had a smile that could light the world. Yami had a smirk that could make you melt or run for your life, depending on how it was used.  
The young boy ran his hand through his unruly star-shaped hair and moved back to bed. He needed to sleep if he wanted to get enough rest before school. With a last look towards the moon, Yugi climbed in his bed, hugged the fluffy kuribo plush toy Yami had gifted him with on his tenth birthday and closed his eyes. 

Yugi felt as if it was only moments ago when he had closed his eyes when a shrilling ringing noise filled his room disturbing him. Groaning, he pushed his hand out of his comforter and blindly searched for the intruder of his sleep. His hand curled around a round object which went flying at the other side of the room with a loud crashing sound. Another groan mixed with a sigh escaped the boy’s lips before he let the sun completely wake him up. With regret he noticed that the alarm, the monster which produced that shrilling noise, after years of mistreatment, had finally given its last ring.

As the boy made his way to the bathroom to start his morning routine, he mentally noted that he needed to buy a new alarm. After finishing with his shower, Yugi gathered what had remained of the poor clock and threw the pieces in the trash bin silently apologizing to the broken object. Then, he proceeded to walk downstairs and towards the kitchen where he knew his grandfather was preparing breakfast for himself and his grandson before each of them would start their days, Yugi to school and his grandfather to the game store he owned.

“Good morning, my boy” the old man greeted the boy as he walked in the kitchen and took his place on the table. Already a plate of pancakes and a glass of milk waited for him. “Was that your alarm?”

By now grandpa Solomon was used to his grandson’s routine of kicking the alarm out of its rightful place. It was something that happened often since Yugi really enjoyed his morning sleep. 

“I need to buy a new one” Yugi murmured quickly eating his breakfast. “I broke it.” He seemed almost ashamed, but his grandfather only laughed and patted him softly on the head.

“If you would show the same tactics towards the people that bullied you all these years ago, you would have never been touched” the old man teased him, but his expression turned dark.

Yugi was a really kind person. His kindness and soft demeanor had attracted many bullies through the years. Yugi had kept his beatings a secret from his grandfather, but when the old man found out about it, he sent Yugi to take some martial arts classes. However, that didn’t seem to help the boy. One day old Solomon couldn’t take it anymore so he asked his grandchild what was happening. Yugi had admitted he didn’t like hurting people even if they had hurt him. The grandfather didn’t know what to do.

Fortunately, there was someone else that did know what to do with this mess. Yami, who was a friend of Yugi since elementary school, had always been close to Yugi for some reason. He had understood the younger boy had some kind of trouble but had never picked up exactly what was happening. The bullies weren’t the smartest kids but they knew not to hurt Yugi in places that could be seen by others or do that in front of an audience. Unfortunately for them, after a beating that broke Yugi’s hand, falling from the stairs Yugi had said, Yami made sure he wouldn’t lose Yugi from his eyes. One day he followed Yugi all the way home only to see the poor boy being pulled in an alleyway by a boy three years older than him. 

Yugi would never forget that day because that was the day Yami saved him for the first time. His dear friend received many hits himself but managed to make the older boy leave Yugi alone. Soon Yami and his friends, Bakura and Marik, made sure no one would touch Yugi again. Yugi was thankful to them, and especially Yami. 

Yugi dismissed his grandfather’s comment. He knew what he was thinking. The bullies had recently tried to hurt Yugi again, but Yugi was no longer alone and he was no longer scared to raise his voice. He had learnt that sometimes all the bullies needed to leave you alone was to show them you didn’t care about them. Not that he believed they wouldn’t try to corner him again if they found him alone, but at least now he didn’t feel like he needed to look behind his back each and every moment he walked out his classes. No, it wasn’t the bullies that bothered Yugi. It was the lack of his former protector.

Saying goodbye to his grandfather, Yugi grabbed his schoolbag and left. He silently walked all the way to school deep in his thoughts. However, when he spotted a familiar blonde at the school gates he couldn’t help but laugh. Joey Wheeler liked waiting for him at the school gate, when he wasn’t late. Joey was his first guy friend. They knew each other since kindergarten. They had become friends in the second grade of elementary school after Joey had thrown little Yugi in a pond during a school walk. Yugi had ended up sick for two days but when he came back he had immediately forgiven Joey and even asked the teacher not to be mean to Joey. Since then, the boys were the best of friends, mostly like brothers.

A boy with brown hair and dark eyes was leaning on the gates by Joey’s side. Yugi knew that usually you could find Tristan Taylor wherever Joey was. Those two were inseparable. Therefore back then Yugi had gained another friend since Tristan thought little Yugi could use another one and since Joey had decided to treat Yugi as his little brother so Tristan made him his friend too. Yugi didn’t mind at all. He had always wanted friends. Speaking of friends, in the distance he could see Bakura and Ryou and Marik and Malik running towards them. The warning ring would ring soon and the two couples seemed to have had a late start. 

Ryou Bakura had come to Japan from England when Yugi was at the fifth grade. He had been born in England, his mother being from there and his father being Japanese. His family had eventually decided to move back so Ryou had transferred to his school. Ryou had beautiful long white hair that seemed so soft to the touch and angelic face characteristics that were enhanced by his round chocolate eyes. Upon meeting Bakura King, the one year older meaner version of him, Ryou had felt fear. Bakura looked so much like Ryou that it was uncanny. However, his eyes were sharp and full of mischief and at his third year of elementary school he had acquired a small scar beneath his right eye after a fight which made it even easier to understand he wasn’t Ryou. Not that many mistaken them. 

It was kind of the same story for Malik Ishtar and Marik Namu. Malik was of Egyptian origins but had lived in Egypt only for a year or two. His family used to travel for years since his father was a collector of artifacts for museums and liked to move his family around. When he died years ago, his wife had decided to move them to Japan since she had gotten a good job in a museum there. That’s how Malik had ended up transferring in the same school as them in the first year of junior high school. When he met Marik, a year older than Malik, of Egyptian origins as well, and the same white-gold hair as Malik, Malik decided to make sure this person wouldn’t come close to him. He had heard a story about how once you get to meet your doppelganger and especially get to know them, you were supposed to die soon. Unfortunately for him, Marik was really interested in the younger boy. Two years later those two became a couple.

Very few, Yugi was one of them, knew for sure that Ryou and Bakura were also a couple. People suspected it but for Ryou’s sake who wanted to keep it a secret for now, Bakura hadn’t announced it to anyone but the gang. Which pretty much consisted of those seven and Seto Kaiba and his brother. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. Seto Kaiba, a brown haired seventeen years old boy that owned and ran Kaiba Corp wasn’t exactly part of the gang. That’s what he said at least. He was unofficially dating Joey and had dropped school choosing home schooling in order to run his company. His brother, Mokuba, an energetic black haired boy with mischievous black eyes was only eleven so the boys could see him only when visiting Kaiba.

“Good morning, everyone” Ryou greeted them, trying to catch his breath. “Sorry, we are late.”

“We better hurry up, or we will be late for class” Yugi said softly. “Are you okay, guys?” Malik nodded and upon seeing Marik smirking, he hit him on the back of the head.

“Those two idiots were late again. I don’t even want to know what they were planning to do today but anyway, let’s go” Malik said and dragged Marik with him towards school.  
Yugi followed the rest of the guys laughing. It was a usual thing seeing Marik and Bakura being in trouble. No one blinked an eye anymore. Those two were troublemakers with a capital T. It was always funny seeing Malik and Ryou trying to put a leash on them. Which was exactly what the two younger boys were trying to do before sending them to their classes with warning looks. 

The younger boys of the gang reached their classroom with Yugi feeling thankful for almost being late when his eyes caught a spark of crimson. He didn’t want to look. He didn’t want to look at those crimson tips on the other boy’s hair but he was standing by the door. Thankfully he was occupied by a mess of brown hair and pink jacket which suspiciously moved to the side at the exact right position to hide Yugi as the boy slipped in the classroom with all the other boys. Not that it would matter. Yami had long ago stopped noticing Yugi.

With a sigh Yugi took his seat behind his desk and took out his book. Just before the teacher walked in the classroom, the brown haired girl walked in too and took her seat at the front row of desks. Her name was Tea Gardner and once upon a time she had been Yugi’s first female friend. Well at first Tea was not exactly a friend but she used to talk to Yugi more than the other kids. Tea would check on Yugi from time to time thinking he was cute and would play with him as if he was some kind of plush toy. Yugi didn’t mind. He was always alone at home so he liked playing with other kids at the kindergarten. When they hit the first grade of elementary school, Tea would talk to Yugi from times to times. It was usually after someone had picked on him. For some years Yugi thought he had a crush on Tea. The girl was so full of speeches about friendship which she delivered whenever the gang was together and Yugi liked her positive energy. However, around junior high school things had changed. 

“Mr. Muto, could you please give me the answer” his teacher called Yugi’s attention back to the lesson. He had spaced out. 

“Napoleon” Yugi answered, even though his mind was elsewhere. 

“Thank you, Mr. Muto.” The teacher turned back to her whiteboard.

“Yug, I have no idea how you do this” Joey whispered to him, after making sure the teacher was busy writing whatever she was writing on the whiteboard. “You always know the answer even when you don’t pay attention.”

Yugi shrugged. Truth was, Yugi was a really intelligent person. He could usually concentrate on the lessons and think of other things in the same time. Anyway he had already studied most of the material so he knew what the teachers would say. 

His thoughts turned back to Yami. Yugi missed him so much. They had been inseparable since second grade. Yugi was always happy when he was close to Yami. It took him several years to understand that Yami was not another brother to him like Joey. No. Yugi’s feelings towards the older boy was those of true love. He was only sixteen but he knew that he truly loved Yugi as more than a friend or a simple crush. 

Yugi had stayed sleepless many days during the beginning of his high school year considering if he should talk to Yami. He wanted to tell him but he was afraid of jeopardizing their friendship. Then again, if he didn’t tell him it wouldn’t be fair. Yugi would make it clear that no matter what Yami’s answer would be he wanted them to be friends so if Yami couldn’t return his feelings, they could stay friends. He hadn’t wanted to lose Yami. He had discussed the matter with Joey, Ryou, and Malik. They had all told him to give it a try. All of them had already found a boyfriend so they thought Yugi should try to be with Yami. The gang thought they were right for each other. Well, everyone in the gang except for one person. 

The same day he had decided to confess to Yami, Tea made her move. Tea had grown to a really beautiful girl which many guys wanted. However, her eyes were on Yami. Marik and Bakura had suspected it, but they had never believed Yami would date her. Unfortunately they were wrong. Yami had said yes. Yugi never got his chance. Since then Tea had made it her mission to keep Yami away from Yugi. It had started innocently enough with dates exactly when the gang would meet. Tea and the gang were already falling apart because Tea always made nasty remarks about Malik and Marik dating. It was one of the reasons Ryou didn’t want to make his relationship known to everyone. The gang had a feeling Tea was behind the rumors going around the school about Malik and Marik. 

They had started with them dating and continued with people saying Malik had slept with Marik after their first date, which was an absolute lie. Then they proceeded with rumors about Malik cheating on Marik with a variety of people. The rumors had as a target to break the couple but in reality they had succeeded the exact opposite. Marik knew Malik would never do such things. The older boy was kind of crazy but not crazy enough to lose his boyfriend over some rumors. A couple of days later the rumors changed. Yami spent quite some time with Tea but Yugi and the gang were still his friends. Tea didn’t want Yugi anywhere close to her Yami. The rumors started innocently enough saying the gang called Tea names when she wasn’t around. Tea had pretended to be hurt but patient for Yami’s sake. Then one day someone said that they saw Yugi trying to persuade Tea to leave Yami for him. Supposedly Tea had refused and had ended up hitting Yugi when he wouldn’t take no for an answer. At first the rumor was met with laughter but when Yugi sported a bruise on his cheek the next day, people started believing it. 

“I wonder if it hadn’t been for those rumors if Yami would be still talking to me” Yugi thought with a sigh before moving to his next class which was Literature.  
Yami had spent his evening comforting Tea, not understanding how Yugi could do such a thing. He knew Yugi had a crush on Tea during elementary school but he had thought that was over. Against the voice in his head that told him to calm down and then talk to Yugi, Yami had rushed to Yugi first thing in the morning and screamed to him to stay away from his girl. He had screamed more things than that, but Yugi didn’t want to think of those words. Yami hadn’t even stayed long enough to see Yugi’s teary eyes or hear what the younger boy had to say. Yugi had tried many times to approach him but every single time Tea was there. The gang couldn’t understand why Yugi would stop every time he would see Tea.

Rumor upon rumor and strained silence upon silence Yami had pulled himself away from the gang. He spent most of his time with Tea and her friends or sometimes with Bakura and Marik when they weren’t with their boyfriends. He would exchange words with the others if he came across them but he hadn’t said a word to Yugi in two months. 

Yugi was hurt by Yami’s behavior but he wished his friend was happy. He didn’t like how he was treated but as long as Tea treated Yami as he deserved, Yugi was okay suffering in silence. However, there were others who weren’t okay with that. The gang, including Kaiba, didn’t like seeing Yugi sad. They all knew that it was actually Yugi that had brought most of them together. It was Yugi’s kindness that had tamed Joey. It was Yugi’s polite and gentle manners that had made Ryou feel better in a new environment. It was after Yugi’s advice that Ryou started observing Bakura more, enough to understand he didn’t need to fear him. It was Yugi that had dismissed Malik’s fear of his upcoming death and had brought him closer to Marik. Yugi who loved games, especially duel monsters, had brought Kaiba to the gang and had made everyone feel welcome. Even Tristan felt like little Yugi was the glue that kept the gang together. No one wanted to see Yugi hurt. All of them knew that Tea had done more than steal Yami from Yugi. They had seen the way Tea looked at Yugi. They had heard Tea’s insults when Yami wasn’t there. What they didn’t know was what had happened between Tea and Yugi during junior high school but Yugi wouldn’t talk about it.

As the gang made it to the sakura tree where they spent their lunch break, Yugi saw Tea running and hugging Yami before kissing him in front of everyone. Yugi’s heart felt ready to break. He turned his head to the other side and sped up his step.

“Did you see her?!” He heard Malik saying. “That idiot winked at you, Yugi.”

“Why the hell would she wink at Yugi?” Bakura asked. “Oh, I need to bleach my mind now. Ryou…”

“NO!” Ryou’s face was red but his answer was stern.

Bakura pouted, yes he actually pouted.

The gang laughed and took their place under the sakura tree. To their great dismay Tea, Yami, and the rest of Tea’s friends sat on a nearby tree.   
“Why do they always have to sit so close to us?” Marik growled not caring to lower his voice. 

Marik and Bakura were tired of having Tea around them whenever they wanted to spend time with Yami or seeing Yami being dragged around by the brown haired bitch. Marik especially was pissed with the girl. He knew she was behind the rumors. Therefore he flatly refused to be close to the bitch. Yami had finally gotten the message his friends for some reason didn’t like his girlfriend and had stopped meeting with them when Tea was around. However, somehow Tea would always manage to sit close to the gang during lunch. 

“I really want her gone” Ryou whispered throwing a glance towards Yugi feeling concerned. 

The aforementioned boy was busy eating his sandwich so the gang decided to drop the subject. Suddenly, a cute girl with purple long hair approached them and taking a deep breath she asked Yugi out. The boy’s jaw dropped. Sure there were some girls that would ask him out thinking he was cute but it always surprised him. He was trying to find a way to softly let her down when Malik intervened. 

“I am sorry, sweetheart. Yugi is taken.” Marik said, his words directed towards the girl but his eyes were focused on the other tree. 

“T…Taken?” the girl shuttered. 

Yugi wanted to talk but Marik shook his head. “Yes, he is taken.” Malik confirmed confidently. 

“Oh..sorry...I didn’t know” the girl answered and ran away embarrassed.

“Ehm, guys…what…?” Yugi stuttered as much as the girl but Marik shook his head again.

Yugi’s eyes followed Marik’s. Crimson met amethyst. Yugi turned his head away. He didn’t want to be caught in those eyes again. He would lose his mind for sure. Had Yami heard them? Did it really matter?

Word about Yugi being taken was spread wilder than fire. Before the last ring echoed through the school signaling the end of the school day everyone knew that Yugi was in a relationship but no one knew with who. Yugi groaned wondering how he had ended up in this mess. It was Marik. Yes, it was Marik’s fault. But why had Malik played along?

“Hi, Yugi” a soft baritone voice made Yugi’s head snap as he quickly turned towards the owner of the voice.

He had stayed behind to help one of his teachers with some papers. He now wished his teacher had chosen someone else.

“Yami?” he acknowledged the voice, thankful to any God who helped him maintain some tone of confidence and calmness in his voice.

“We heard you are dating, huh?” Tea’s voice came from behind Yami. Yugi shivered as he saw her eyes narrowing. “Who is the lucky girl?”

“Why do you care?” Yugi heard himself saying. He didn’t know why he was taunting her. 

He was so tired. He just wanted to go home. He wanted this day to end.

“It’s the first time the infamous Yugi Muto dates someone. We are simply curious about who could steal your heart.” 

Tea’s words stung him so badly. There was only one person Yugi loved. Only one person had stolen his heart and this person stood right in front of him. This person’s eyes were on him burning a hole through Yugi’s heart. If only Yami knew how much the younger boy loved him.

“I am sorry. I need to go. I promised to help my grandfather make dinner tonight” Yugi excused himself not being able to handle Yami’s gaze anymore. He bowed and turned to leave.

Tea’s eyes were on him until he was lost. When Yugi found his friends waiting for him at the gates he tried to pretend nothing had happened. He was unaware that someone had seen everything.

“Where is Bakura?” Yugi asked Ryou.

“Detention” the white haired angel sighed. “I will wait for him. I will see you tomorrow, guys.” 

Ryou waved them off as the rest of the gang continued walking. Then Joey turned to Yugi, “What took you so long?”

Yugi sighed. “Yami and Tea stopped and asked me about this rumor about me being taken. Tea wanted to know which girl got my heart.” He really wanted to go home.

“What did you answer?” Marik asked casually. 

“Nothing. I excused myself and left. How could I answer anything? I am not taken.” Yugi felt the beginning of a headache. “Sorry, guys. I need to go home now. My grandpa is waiting for me. I will see you all tomorrow.”

The gang stayed there looking at Yugi walking away. Then Joey turned to Marik. “Now spill! Why did you say that Yugi was taken? And why did Malik play along?”

“Yeah, dude. Yugi seems to be troubled by the rumor” Tristan agreed, looking confused.

“Well, my dear puppy,” Marik said with a smirk using Kaiba’s nickname for Joey, “if you follow me you will find out soon.”

Joey growled at hearing the nickname but nodded. Soon he discovered that Marik was leading them to Kaiba’s mansion and wondered how his boyfriend was involved. He sighed. He hoped whatever Marik had in mind would make Yugi happy because the little guy deserved all the happiness in the world.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to upload the chapters I have on ff too since only now I got my own account here.   
> Here is chapter 2.

Chapter 2: 

Kaiba didn’t look really happy seeing everyone making themselves at home at his living room but it was clear he had invited them there. He took a seat by Joey while Mokuba sat on a fluffy pillow on the floor, facing his brother. Joey ran his hand through his blond hair. He was glad to see Seto but he also wanted answers. Yugi was his best friend. Well, him and Tristan. What most of them didn’t know was that Joey wanted to help Yugi not only because he considered him a brother but also because he owed him.

The previous summer, Maximilian Pegasus had personally invited Yugi at his island for a duel. Pegasus knew Yugi’s grandfather and had heard from his how intelligent Yugi was as well as how good he was in games. Pegasus had spent the last year inviting the best duelists in the world to a duel searching for someone that would give him a thrilling duel. He had promised to give the duelist that would win against him a great amount of money as well as a special prize. 

Yugi was reluctant about accepting the invitation. He didn’t feel comfortable fighting for money. However, it happened that around that time he found out Joey’s sister, Serenity, had to go through a surgery that costed too much for Joey’s family to afford. Joey wasn’t with Kaiba yet and he wouldn’t ask Seto for that much money anyway. Yugi decided to accept the invitation but didn’t tell Joey anything about it.

When Yugi came back two days later, he gave Joey a folder. “Here. Now Serenity will be able to see you again” Yugi said softly, pushing the folder in Joey’s hands. Joey found inside the money for the surgery.

“H..How?” was all Joey could ask.

“When you have a great purpose, something to fight for, the heart of the cards is there to help you” Yugi answered and turned to leave.

Joey hugged Yugi, his blond hair hiding his face. Yugi knew that his friend wanted to cry but also knew crying wasn’t Joey’s thing. So, he simply touched Joey’s arm and smiled. “Give Serenity my love.”

Joey would never forget what Yugi did for his sister. He would do anything to repay even part of the favor. 

Seto placed an arm around Joey’s shoulder. He knew exactly what his boyfriend was thinking. He found out about Serenity’s surgery some days after the incident. He would have helped Serenity if he had known but he also knew Joey’s pride wouldn’t allow him to ask money from him. Seto loved to torture his puppy but he also loved him. It was tough love that he enjoyed. It was his type of love.

“So, what’s going on?” Kaiba asked, all business. 

“Wait until Bakura and Ryou come. Bakura texted me and said he has news. They will be here soon. Apparently the substitute teacher wasn’t in the mood to deal with Bakura today so he let him go.” Marik smirked. 

Bakura and he had gotten detention so many times this year that the substitute teacher in charge always shivered seeing one of them in his class. They just enjoyed pranks a little bit too much. They were proud of their pranks too so why should they not tell the teacher every detail of their plans? Was it their fault that his sons were younger versions of the duo and the man kept thinking that soon his sons would do the same things and deal with detention or even worse?

Ryou and Bakura stepped in the living room fuming. As soon as they walked inside, they took a seat and Bakura started talking.

“We need to do something immediately!” there was a layer of anger in his voice that no one could ignore. “We need to bring this bitch down!”

There was only one bitch and everyone knew her. Tea. The question was what she had done this time. Kaiba had been long aware that there was more to the story than Yugi let them know. He used to think that Yugi was a weak boy that didn’t deserve his attention but soon he had discovered how wrong he was. The boy was intelligent and knew how to keep one’s interest. He had dueled Yugi for fun and Kaiba had lost. Yes, Seto Kaiba had lost. Then that summer the boy had gone against Pegasus and had won as well. The boy was a real challenge. However, Kaiba had actually gotten to know Yugi because of his younger brother. Mokuba had gotten a liking to the young boy. He just loved to jump and hug Yugi every time he would see him.

At first Kaiba thought that was because Yugi was…well, he was quite adorable, even if Kaiba would never say that word aloud. No one could say otherwise. Yugi had always been cute. Also there was this gentleness of manners and kindness he showed everyone that you couldn’t ignore. However, soon Kaiba started respecting Yugi for his knowledge around games and lost civilizations as well as his protectiveness and loyalty towards friends. He had put himself into harm’s way to protect Mokuba against school bullies and Kaiba would never forget that. He was more than willing to help the gang figure out what was happening to Yugi but he would never admit he cared for the boy. No. He had an image to uphold. 

“The other day we were talking about how it was strange that Tea was always around Yugi and then suddenly she makes a move to Yami and starts treating Yugi like dirt” Seto started.

“Yes, and we said that probably Tea always wanted Yami but she played the good friend because Yami was so close to Yugi” Joey interrupted, his hand reaching for one of the candies Mokuba had left on the table.

“You better eat than talk, mutt” Seto pestered him, earning a glare from his boyfriend. 

“Who are you calling mutt?!”

The others grinned. That was the usual for the couple. Yet they were there to find out more about Yugi. So, Ryou turned his focus on Kaiba and asked him to continue.  
“Is anyone aware of the fact that someone threatened Yugi through messages?” Kaiba asked. There were some gasps. “One night Yugi came to my place asking to stay here. He told me he wanted a place to think and his room just wouldn’t do. I thought it was because he spent quite some time there with Yami when they were friends playing games. However, the next day one of my maids found a note that probably fell from Yugi’s pocket. It was telling Yugi to stay away from Yami or he would suffer.”  
“It could be Tea.” Tristan said.

Kaiba nodded. “The thing is Yugi was never one to care for himself. Yet since that day he didn’t try to talk to Yami again. Until then he had tried to talk to Yami but since then silence.”

“So you think that this someone actually wasn’t threatening Yugi but Yami?” Malik asked to make sure they were in the same page. “It actually makes sense. I found a note in one of Yugi’s books some weeks ago. However that one was about how Yugi should stop thinking of Yami and find a girl to love.”

Malik shook his head. He had never liked Tea. He knew that it must have been her that wrote the note. She was the only one outside the gang who knew about Yugi’s feelings. The gang didn’t know how she had found out but she had. Yugi hadn’t gone around advertising his feelings so she could be the only one to do that. Also she was so against gay couples. Of course she would want Yugi to be with a girl. However, Malik had a feeling this went beyond homophobia or possessiveness of Yami.

“Why did you start the rumor about Yugi being taken?” Ryou asked Marik.

“While we were in class today, I overheard this girl saying she would ask Yugi. Her sister is in my class, you see. Yami heard it too and I saw him frowning. I knew Yugi would refuse the girl but I thought that maybe if Yami heard Yugi was dating, he would react. I am not really sure Yami loves Tea” Marik said the girl’s name as if it was something foul. 

“Marik and I have discussed this a lot. I was always really close to Yugi. The last months I observe Yugi a lot. I know his heart is breaking every time he sees those two together. I don’t understand why Tea always comes to sit close to us and why she seems to want to torture Yugi. She already has Yami. However, I have noticed Yami looking at Yugi during lunch quite often. When he does so, he seems…sad. As if he wished he was there with us, with Yugi. That’s why I played along with Marik.”

“I too believe Yami may have feelings for Yugi. He just needs a bit of a push” Ryou slowly said, everyone turning to look at him. He sighed. “I was the first to doubt Tea turning into such a person because she was always kind to me, but there is more than what meets the eye. Bakura will tell you what he heard today.”

Everyone turned their eyes towards Bakura. “I was coming out of detention when I saw Yami and Tea approaching Yugi and asking him about the rumors. Tea was the one pushing to get the girl’s name. She assumed it was a girl. Yugi excused himself and left. Since no one noticed me, I decided to wait and see what would happen next. Tea excused herself saying she forgot something in her class and told Yami to wait for her outside the school. When he left, she took out her phone and called someone, I guess one of her friends. She told them to find out who Yugi was dating. She said they had to watch him and make sure to find who got what belonged to her.” 

“What belongs to her?” Joey screamed.

“There is more. I believe the other person asked about Yami and the bitch said it couldn’t be Yami because she had such a tight leash on him. However, she said she would make sure to keep a watch on him. She ended the phone saying that Yugi belonged to her and only her.” Bakura was fuming again. 

Everyone was shocked. No one would have guessed that Tea was after Yugi. It didn’t make sense. Why would she go for Yami if she really wanted Yugi?

“So that’s her game. She took Yami from Yugi to make sure they wouldn’t be together. However, it is twisted to think that after something like this and how she treats him, Yugi will ever even consider being with her” Marik said, his arm around Malik.

Everyone stayed silent for the next minutes, each one of them lost in his thoughts. They would have never guessed that the reason why Tea kept hurting Yugi was to eventually make him hers. It didn’t make sense.

“So, what are we going to do?” Mokuba asked after a while, breaking the silence.

“You won’t do anything. You will go to bed” Kaiba said sternly, remembering his little brother was there too. “It’s late.”

“NO!” Mokuba said in the same tone. “Yugi is my friend, too. He always treats me like a little brother. I want to help him too.” Kaiba sighed. He let Mokuba come and curl closer to him as the boy looked at him pleadingly. “Seto, we must help him.”

“We will help me, Mokuba. We will.” Kaiba promised.

Joey smiled. He liked the affection Seto showed towards his little brother. Seto wasn’t a really affectionate guy but through actions he proved he could be trusted by his friends.   
“You know…” Ryou started hesitantly, “I believe the greatest thing we could do to Tea would be getting Yami and Yugi together.” 

The boys nodded their head. “But what if Yami doesn’t see Yugi that way?” Tristan asked.

They contemplated a bit on that. “Well we will have to find that out first.” Joey simply said.

An evil smirk adorned Malik’s face making him look so much like Marik that it was uncanny. Even Marik was scared. “Ehm, love, why do you smile like this?”

“I have an idea. A wonderful idea. Oh and it’s not even exactly my idea. It’s your idea, Marik!” Malik was so excited, so devilishly excited. “Yugi is taken. That’s what we need to do. We will make Yugi be taken.”

Everyone looked at Malik as if he was insane. “How will we do that? Who will play Yugi’s lover? Will Yugi agree?” Bakura fired his questions.

“Oh, we don’t need anyone. That’s the great part about it. We don’t need a lover. We just need to show Yami that Yugi isn’t available. We need to show him what he is losing. And piss Tea as well.” Malik grinned.

Kaiba was getting annoyed. It was getting late and Malik seemed to be too excited to properly explain himself. “Look, if in the next some seconds you don’t feel the need to tell the rest of us what the hell is in your mind, you could take yourself home.”

“Don’t talk to my boyfriend like this, Kaiba!” Marik stood up angrily, but a soft hand stopped him. 

Malik looked at the sheepishly. “Well, yeah, I will tell you. Sorry. Well, my idea is for us to show Yami how great Yugi is. To show him that he wants Yugi as a boyfriend.”

“How?” Kaiba asked through his teeth.

“We will flirt with Yugi, or actually pretend we are flirting with him. We will spread rumors that Yugi is with one of us and that others are interested as well” Malik said slowly looking at the others for a reaction.

Bakura seemed to be the first to get it. “Oh, I like this! We should slowly spread our rumors and flirting around like a spider weaves her web. No matter what Yami will feel bombarded by people that seem to adore Yugi and keep showing him what he loses.”

“Won’t it be suspicious if everyone starts flirting with Yugi all of the sudden?” Joey asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable. He didn’t really want to flirt with the boy he considered a brother.

“Well, it won’t be all of us. We won’t all flirt with him directly. Some of us will spread the rumors, be the good spiders. Some of us will be a bit more affectionate. Some of us will be a bit more aggressive.” Marik said smirking.

Joey nodded. “I will be a good spider. I can’t flirt with Yugi! It wouldn’t make sense.” 

The guys stayed another hour discussing their plan until they thought it was perfect. Then they said good night to each other and started for their houses. They all had great smiles on their lips thinking of what they would do the next day. 

“Don’t worry, Yugi. Soon, we will know what Yami thinks of you. We only hope he isn’t as much of a fool as he made himself be the last months” Malik whispered before going to bed.

He wanted his best friend to be happy. Yugi had been the first friend he made in Japan. He had never had a best friend before since his family was always moving. Yugi was the one who helped him surpass his foolish fear for Marik. He couldn’t be thankful enough for that. Malik couldn’t help but feel that Marik was his other half. When he had met him he was so scared that he had locked himself in a stall at school and cried. Yugi found him and instead of making fun of him he held him and comforted him. Malik only wanted Yugi to be as happy as he was. So, he hoped his plan would succeed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Someone was shaking him softly, but he didn’t want to wake up. He knew that as soon as he would open his eyes reality would burst in and erase the last remnants of the dreams he had. The dream was so beautiful that Yugi didn’t wish to ever wake up. Cherry blossoms flying around. Children laughing loudly. The air smelling sweetly. A warm arm curled around his body. Yes, the dream was too beautiful for him to wake up. It wasn’t just the security he felt in the arms of the faceless person but also the serenity of the environment. Yugi hadn’t felt so peaceful in months. However, someone was determined to wake him up.

“Yugi, you need to wake up, or you will be late” an older voice came to accompany the shaking. 

Amethyst eyes opened slowly taking in the sunlight that came in from the window. Their owner pulled the blanket closer to his face trying to hide but a chuckle made him jump. He was out of bed in seconds, much to his body dismay. He yawned and looked at the man in front of him.

“Good morning, Yugi” his grandfather greeted him, mirth in his eyes. “You are so hard to wake up, boy.” A wrinkled hand ran through the boy’s hair. “You better get a quick shower and change if you want to get some breakfast before leaving.”

“Grandpa…” Yugi’s sleepy voice was barely a whisper, “…why are you waking me up?” His eyes searched for his alarm clock. “Oh, I forgot to buy one.” Realization downed on him and he bowed his head towards his grandfather. “Thank you, grandpa. I will take that shower and get dressed.”

Grandpa Solomon Muto laughed softly as he went downstairs to finish breakfast. His grandson was always such a polite kid. He would always abuse his alarm clock but he was always on time for school. The old man didn’t want that to change. When his grandson walked in the kitchen, he instructed him to eat his breakfast quickly and rush to school. The boy finished his breakfast in five minutes flat, grabbed his lunch bag, and rushed out of the house, wishing his grandfather a good day.

Once outside he was greeted by the clear air, sunlight, and a black limo parked right in front of his grandfather’s store. Yugi raised an eyebrow and was about to call for his grandfather when he noticed a familiar figure picking through the open window. Why was Kaiba outside his house?

“I thought you would never come out” Kaiba said, his cold voice up, but the beginning of a smirk apparent on his lips.

“Good morning, Seto.” Yugi was one of the few that called Kaiba by his given name when they were alone. “What are you doing here?” The boy was confused, something that was apparent in his innocent eyes.

Kaiba actually smirked. “I am taking you to school today. You are on my way, anyway.” Yugi was about to ask more questions but Kaiba stopped him. “Are you coming in, or do you prefer being late?”

Yugi walked inside the limo and shut the door behind him. He didn’t know why Seto was giving him a ride but he wouldn’t say no, especially since he was running late. Once inside he made an effort to start a conversation but Kaiba was busy typing something on his laptop. Then, he took out a smartphone and proceeded doing something there. When the car stopped in front of the school, Yugi turned and thanked Seto thinking he would just step out of the car and go. So, he was extremely surprised when Kaiba walked out of the car too.

“Do you have some business at school today?” the younger boy asked politely. That would make sense. 

“Maybe” Kaiba answered enigmatically. 

His eyes were on a couple of students that had stopped to look at them. It wasn’t an everyday thing for a limo to stop in front of their school. Furthermore, Yugi Muto had just walked out of the limo with Seto Kaiba on his heels. Yugi wondered if Seto was searching for Joey in the crowd. He was happy seeing Joey and Tristan approaching them.

“Hey, Joey, Tristan! Over here” Yugi said, waving to his friends who walked faster towards his direction.

“Hey, Yug” Tristan and Joey greeted their friend. “Kaiba” they both acknowledged as if they barely knew Seto, something that surprised Yugi.

When Kaiba was still at school, Joey and Seto would always argue. Kaiba was always so cold towards others and he demeaned Joey who always came back for more. Tristan was usually amused by those arguments. However, now those two acted as if Kaiba was barely there. Yugi titled his head to the side in confusion. Kaiba grinned at that movement. Before Yugi knew what hit him, Seto grabbed a firm hold of Yugi’s chin and made him look up at him. At the same moment, the warning ring rang but no one seemed to move.

“Be a good boy today” Seto said firmly to Yugi, still holding his chin. His cold eyes flashed with an emotion Yugi couldn’t recognize. “Now run, or you will be late.”

With a last smirk to Yugi, Seto turned and walked back in his limo. He was gone before Yugi could say a thing. Not that the boy knew what to say. He heard voices around him and felt Tristan and Joey dragging him towards the school. Yugi looked up at Joey, his eyes asking his friend what was happening to his boyfriend but Joey acted as if nothing had happened, so Yugi shrugged it off. 

Nothing happened until the end of the day, even though Yugi felt like people were watching him when he joined the others for lunch under the Sakura tree. However, no one bothered him so for him the day which was quite good. He just needed to handle one more day and he would have a weekend to relax. Even though he was quite intelligent, he had started working on some projects lately and he wanted them done as soon as possible. Since he was in those projects with Ryou, Malik, Joey, and Tristan, they had decided to meet in Kaiba’s mansion and stay there on Saturday, working on homework. His grandfather had no problem with that. Yugi actually thought that Solomon was quite happy his grandson had so many good friends. 

Leaving the school building when the last class was over, Ryou and Malik were talking about a new store while Bakura and Marik had stayed behind having something to do. Tristan and Joey were teasing each other as the boys were walking towards the gates. Yugi was startled seeing the black limo outside the gates but he was even more shocked when he saw Kaiba walking out and making his way towards Yugi instead of Joey.

“So, were you a good boy?” Kaiba asked Yugi with a glint in his eyes Yugi hadn’t seen before. Was it amusement?

“I…” Yugi started but he didn’t know how to proceed. What the hell was happening there?

“Hey, Kaiba.” Joey said, his voice casual. “That’s Yugi, not your puppy.” 

Yugi looked at his friend wondering what was going on. What did he mean? Was Joey angry at Yugi? But Joey didn’t seem to care that his boyfriend was so close to the smaller boy while ignoring him.

“Not everyone is a mutt like you, Wheeler” Kaiba dismissed him, his eyes never leaving Yugi’s. “He does have those damn puppy eyes though…” he whispered, loud enough for the people close to them to hear.

“Ehm, S..S..Seto…?” Yugi silently cursed himself for stuttering.

“Well, if you are done here, we better go. Mokuba is waiting for us” Seto said, a victorious smile on his lips.

“Won’t Joey come with us?” Yugi whispered as Seto pulled him towards the limo. He turned to look at his friends for help.

Kaiba sighed a bit. “Hey, mutt.” He called for Joey who turned to look at him, an eyebrow up in challenge. “Yugi wants to give you a ride home. Whatever Yugi wants, he gets” he added as if it was as simple as that.

Yugi couldn’t help but blush hearing those words. Really what the hell was going on? Why did Kaiba act like that towards him? Was it some kind of prank? He waited to see Joey’s reaction.

“Well, sure.” Joey walked in the limo hitting Seto on the shoulder when the older boy said something about making sure not to stick his head out of the window like the dog he was.

Yugi followed his best friend in the car, his eyes still lingering on his other friends who simply waved him off. Kaiba joined them in the limo and told the driver to drive. Soon they were on the move. Immediately Joey turned to Kaiba and pecked him on the cheek. Yugi felt his shoulders relaxing. Whatever. He guessed that was some kind of game between the two lovers. He glanced questioningly to Kaiba when they didn’t take the way to Yugi’s house but rather drove to Kaiba’s. Kaiba informed him he had called Solomon Muto and had asked permission for Yugi to stay over. 

“Stay over? Why?” Seto said Mokuba was kind of lonely. “I have no clothes. I need to go back to my house.” 

He had missed spending time with Mokuba. Most of his homework was done anyway. The younger boy was like a little brother to Yugi so it was fine. He had stayed over to Kaiba’s a couple of times to keep Mokuba company when Seto was out of the city for business. However, it was the first time Kaiba asked him to stay like that. Yugi had thought that the day would be a peaceful one but he was in for more surprises as it seemed.

“No need for that. We are going to the mall as soon as we pick Mokuba” Kaiba said, his smartphone in his hand once again.

The guy was busy for sure. Running a whole company at the age of seventeen couldn’t be easy. Mokuba was often lonely but Seto always made sure to spend time with his brother whenever he had free time. After all, part of the reason why he worked so hard was to make sure Mokuba would be safe and never need for anything. Yugi respected Seto even more for that.

When they reached the mansion, Mokuba was already waiting for them. As soon as the car stopped, he opened the door and walked in, immediately hugging Yugi. Then he proceeded to greet the rest of the boys smiling sheepishly. Yugi chuckled. He spent the rest of the ride talking to Mokuba who wanted to share his day with the boy he loved as a brother. Kaiba was busy talking to Joey in whispers. For once, they seemed like they had a serious conversation without teasing each other. Yugi was still perplexed about the reason why he was invited out and at the mansion tonight but he knew that if Kaiba didn’t want to say more, he wouldn’t get more. 

Just before they reached the mall, Kaiba asked the driver to pull over. Joey opened the door and said he would join them later since he needed to do something. Without another explanation he was lost among the crowd. Yugi was used to Joey’s odd behavior so he didn’t say anything. He waited until they were at the mall and proceeded to go around, enjoying his time with Mokuba. Kaiba was behind them taking in the exchange between the two boys. Mokuba was always so alive and happy around Yugi. 

After going through some stores and getting Mokuba some games he wanted, the three boys decided to grab something to eat. Kaiba took out his smartphone and called someone prompting the boys to go ahead and order whatever they wanted. Mokuba was really excited. Yugi chuckled running his hand through the boy’s black hair with affection. They had already decided on their choice of dinner when Seto joined them. He picked his choice too and paid for everything. Yugi protested but a look from Kaiba silenced him.  
They grabbed their food and found a place to eat. Kaiba slipped on the chair by Yugi, making sure his chair was close to Yugi, but Yugi was too happy eating his burger to care. He only looked up from his food when he heard a familiar voice calling for me. It wasn’t Joey but rather Malik. The boy wasn’t surprised. After all Malik and Ryou were talking about checking a new store before Yugi left with Kaiba. 

“Hey, guys. What’s up?” Yugi asked cheerfully. 

“We came to check this new store” Malik said, pointing to the bags they were holding. “Well, I guess we checked it quite thoroughly.” 

“We are searching for Bakura and Marik. They said to meet them here, but we can’t find them.” Malik continued with a sweet smile that made Yugi almost suspicious. Ryou seemed to avoid Yugi’s eyes.

“We didn’t see them anywhere but I am sure they will appear soon” Mokuba said sipping his soda, all too happy.

Speaking of the devil, Bakura and Marik walked towards them. However, they weren’t alone. To Yugi’s dismay, Tea and Yami were walking behind them. Yugi couldn’t help but look away. The way Tea clung on Yami was breaking his heart. How he wished he was the one by Yami’s side. All of his friends were together with the ones they loved, officially or unofficially, but he couldn’t get the love of the one person he ever fell in love with. A sad sigh escaped his lips. He thought no one heard it, but Kaiba did.

As soon as Tea spotted Yugi, she pulled Yami closer to her and walked faster towards them. Marik joined Malik and placed his arms around his boyfriend whispering something to him. Tea’s expression looking at the couple was one of disgust. 

“That’s what we needed, more people” Kaiba said loud enough for everyone to hear. Kaiba didn’t care about being rude. “Do we expect more to appear? Maybe the mutt and his friend? Maybe the rest of the school?”

Yugi couldn’t understand why Kaiba seemed so angry. It’s not like the others were interrupting anything. Plus Joey would join them at some point, right? Of course, maybe it had something to do with Yami and Tea. Seto had never really liked Tea, thinking her friendship speeches were extremely irritating. As for Yami, the two boys were barely civil to each other. Yugi couldn’t understand why. 

“We are here for Ryou and Malik, Kaiba” Yami said, his voice calm but heavy. His eyes seemed to be focused on the small distance between Yugi and Kaiba’s seats. “How comes you are here anyway? You don’t seem like the type to eat on a mall.”

Kaiba raised an eyebrow in challenge. “How would you know what I do or not do, Sennen? It’s not your business, but I brought Yugi and Mokuba here for a relaxing evening. Of course I didn’t expect such a crowd to join us. Maybe we should return home.” 

Mokuba finished his drink and pouted. “You said we would go shopping. Yugi needs new clothes. He can’t sleep naked tonight, can he?”

“He could always wear some of my clothes” Kaiba didn’t miss a beat. 

“Your pajamas would flood around him” Mokuba giggled.

Tea jumped on the conversation like a shark on a bloody body. “Why would he sleep naked? Why would Kaiba need to give him his clothes? Doesn’t he have any clothes at his place?”

“But Yugi isn’t staying at his place today. He is staying with us” Mokuba innocently delivered his line. “Seto is going to get me new clothes since I got taller and Yugi is getting new clothes too. Seto promised.”

Tea’s eyes narrowed. Her sky blue eyes shone with a feeling Yugi couldn’t identify. It seemed like anger but not exactly. Her hand that was holding Yami trembled. “And since when does Seto buy clothes for Yugi?” she asked almost sweetly, but the voice was a poor imitation of Mokuba’s.

“First of all only the people I consider close to me call me Seto so refrain from using my name like that, Mrs. Gardner. Second, as I said before it’s not your business what I do or don’t buy for Yugi.” Kaiba’s words came out of his mouth slowly and coldly. Each word was a statement. 

Yugi’s voice broke the silence that followed. “Can we please leave now?” 

Kaiba pulled the chair for Yugi and helped him up even if Yugi didn’t need the help. The gesture wasn’t lost to the rest of the group. Yugi was too confused by what was going on but all he cared about was leaving Tea behind. He always felt extremely uncomfortable being close to her. He didn’t like the way she was looking at him. She didn’t like the way she was clinging to Yami. He just wanted out. 

For a moment the young boy dared to look at the direction of Yami only to find crimson eyes focused on Kaiba’s ice blue ones. Yami’s lips were tight. Kaiba’s were forming a smirk. Yami seemed to be displeased with Kaiba but Yugi couldn’t understand why. Maybe he didn’t like how Kaiba had talked to his girlfriend. Not that Tea didn’t deserve it. Even if Yugi had no clue what was going on, it wasn’t her business what Yugi did or did not do. She had spent the last months doing everything she could to make Yugi and his friends miserable. She had pretended to be his friend and had ended up stealing the one person Yugi loved the most when she knew he would confess to him. Yugi also knew that it had to be Tea behind the rumors about Malik and Marik as well as behind the messages he was receiving. Why was she so interested in what Yugi was doing all of the sudden?

“Whatever Yugi wants, he gets” Kaiba repeated the words he had said outside the school gates, but Yugi was already walking away with Mokuba and didn’t hear them.

Everyone else did, though. Their eyes were on the older boy’s back as he walked towards the younger boys leaving the rest of them behind. Tea couldn’t take her eyes away from them. Yami’s crimson eyes were also on them. Therefore, they missed Malik’s grin that could rival that of the devil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I admit that Rivalshipping kind of makes sense. Yugi is cute and he can for sure bring some light to Kaiba’s life. Plus, he would be a perfect companion for Mokuba. I think I enjoyed writing this a little bit too much. I hope I can hear from you soon. I enjoy reading what you think about the story. Things are starting to get interesting, right?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

The sun couldn’t reach the sleeping boy since the thick curtains kept its sunrays out. Yet, Yugi was up in time for school. He had gotten a new alarm which he had made sure to place far enough for him not to be able to smack across the room. The reason why he disturbed his routine was that he was a guest to another’s house and he wanted to make sure he would be up in time. He didn’t want to give Kaiba a reason to come and get him out of bed. Yugi wasn’t sure if Kaiba would dare do such a thing to him but he had seen the way he had woken up Mokuba the previous summer. He didn’t want to play that game so early in the morning. 

Grabbing his uniform, Yugi walked to the bathroom. He had stayed in this guestroom a couple of times so he knew his way around. After taking a long shower he felt much better. He had spent some hours last night wondering why Kaiba was so kind to him. It’s not like Seto had ever mistreated him but his behavior was kind of odd. Yugi had thought that his comments at the mall were the result of his dislike for Tea and lately Yami, but the older boy had indeed made Yugi go through some stores and buy new clothes and a new pair of pajamas. Yugi was against spending Kaiba’s money but Seto’s glares silenced each and every of his protests. It was kind of embarrassing.

In the end they had walked out of the mall with a couple of bags each and Yugi had two new outfits to add to his closet. Kaiba had suggested not putting back his uniform after trying the second outfit so Yugi walked around the mall with a brand new look. Mokuba had persuaded him to try some leather pants and a violet shirt. Yami was always the one choosing to wear leather. Yugi thought that jeans was more his style. However, he was pleasantly surprised by how good he looked in the outfit. He looked almost…sexy.

“Good morning, Mokuba.” Yugi said, trying to surpass a yawn as he walked in the room where the family had breakfast. “Where is Seto?”

“Right here.” Kaiba’s voice came from behind him, startling the boy. 

Yugi turned around with almost a pout. “That’s the second time in twenty four hours, Seto.” 

Indeed. Last evening Kaiba had startled him once again sneaking behind him. Well, he wasn’t exactly sneaking behind him. Yugi was simply too distracted. They had walked out of the last store and Mokuba was tired so he was holding Yugi’s hand while they were walking towards the exit. Seto had stayed behind after receiving a phone call. Suddenly Yugi stopped walking seeing Yami standing in front of a store by the exit of the mall. His eyes took in the figure of the man he loved. Yugi couldn’t help but stand there for a moment admiring him. He hadn’t been able to look at him like that for a while. 

Then Yugi checked himself and continued walking until he remembered Seto wasn’t with them. He had asked Mokuba where Seto was only to be greeted by two arms around his shoulders that carefully and discreetly forced him to almost lean on a flesh wall. Yugi looked up only to meet clear blue eyes looking down at him. Despite his intelligence, Yugi couldn’t figure out what game Kaiba was playing. He felt that their position was a bit suggestive but he couldn’t understand the reasoning behind the suggestive embrace or the lingering touches. Seto had always kept a distance from people, physically and emotionally. He also had a boyfriend. A boyfriend who hadn’t joined them as he had promised. Something was really fishy there, but Yugi trusted Seto. 

Yugi and Seto had stayed there looking at each other for what looked like minutes even though they were mere seconds before Mokuba screamed something about spotting an ice cream shop. That grabbed not only the attention of the two boys but also the attention of the boy that had distracted Yugi some moments ago. Yugi saw Yami turning. His relaxed pose seemed to be lost upon taking in the way Kaiba held Yugi. Yugi tried to break free but Kaiba’s hold on him became firmer. Yet he wasn’t hurting Yugi. 

Kaiba relaxed his grip on Yugi’s shoulders and let him walk with Mokuba to the ice cream shop only when he heard Tea calling Yami’s name while running to join him. It was as if Kaiba’s interest was lost. With a lazy grin, he followed the two boys into the icream shop and indulged them purchasing whatever sweets they desired. Once Kaiba had bought them enough ice cream to satisfy a horde of children, he led Yugi and Mokuba to the mall’s exit purposely passing by the astonished couple. 

The next morning Yugi sat at the table eating his breakfast, he wondering what was going on between Seto and Yami. Kaiba seemed to silently challenge Yami, but what was the challenge about? Why was Yami so disturbed by the way Kaiba held him? 

Yugi sighed, finishing his breakfast. He wished his intelligence could grow to understand his friends’ strange behavior. He was observant but the way the dynamics kept changing the last twenty four hours confused him. Therefore, he decided to go on with his day and see what new surprises the day would hold. That’s why he wasn’t surprised when Seto said he would accompany him to school since it was on his way. He simply nodded and followed Seto to the car. Mokuba came with them. Apparently they would drop him off at school first. Mokuba was really talkative in the morning. Yugi could barely keep up with the energetic child. Seto was once again busy working on his laptop and phone. Once again he interrupted his work to follow Yugi out of the limo when they reached Domino High School and yet again the gang was there. No, this time there were more people around. Yugi could see some students behind the gates watching him. 

“What the hell is going on?” he asked himself for the hundredth time. 

Kaiba didn’t seem to care about the crowd. His eyes were focused on a person standing some meters away from Yugi. Yugi wanted to see who had grabbed Seto’s attention, but before he could turn, Kaiba placed his hand on Yugi’s head, patting his hair.

“I will pick you up after school. Be a good boy, Yugi.” The line was delivered with a gentle brush on Yugi’s cheek. Seto turned to leave. “I have your clothes back at home” he said loud enough for Yugi and the gang to hear. Then he walked in the car which sped up leaving a stunned Yugi behind.

Turning to meet his friends, Yugi noticed something odd. Joey didn’t seem to care about the affection Kaiba showed to Yugi, but Malik seemed angry. Marik had an arm around his boyfriend’s shoulder but seemed to look at Yugi in a peculiar way. Tristan seemed ready to bolt while Ryou was looking almost sad. Bakura was simply grinning. However, what grabbed Yugi’s attention was Yami. Yami was standing so close to Yugi that the younger boy could smell the other boy’s cologne. However, that wasn’t the problem. The problem was that Yami was looking as if someone had punched him on the stomach. His crimson eyes reflected pain, anger, and confusion. Yugi wanted to reach and ask the boy what was wrong but he didn’t.

Yami always pulled away from Yugi every time the younger boy would try to approach him. He had made it clear enough he didn’t want Yugi back in his life so why should Yugi embarrass himself once more? Instead of trying to help the person he loved so much, Yugi walked to his friends. Bakura smirked.

“Good morning, everyone. Is everything okay?” Yugi asked, trying to act as if nothing had happened, as if nothing was out of ordinary.

“Grand.” Joey and Tristan answered together, before they started laughing. 

“Joey, why didn’t you…?” Yugi started wanting to ask him why he never joined them yesterday to the mall even though he had said he would. 

“I got busy, Yug.” Joey answered knowing what Yugi would ask. “Anyway, I am sure moneybag had no problem with me not joining you three. He enjoyed it better that way.” The blonde patted Yugi’s hair, teasing him. “I didn’t think he would make his move if I was around.” 

Yugi shot him a look of confusion and distress. What had happened between Joey and Kaiba? Did Joey think Kaiba was hitting on Yugi? However, Joey seemed indifferent, and Seto and Joey had kissed before Joey went away to do whatever he needed to do. Everything was so confusing. He wanted to ask more but he couldn’t with an audience around them. He didn’t want to embarrass his friend.

“Did you spend the night at his place?” Marik asked, almost causal. When Yugi nodded, Marik sighed a bit. “You were right.” He added turning his attention towards Malik who seemed upset. 

“Will you go there after school too?” Ryou asked, shyly.

“Ehm, he did say he would pick me up” Yugi answered truthfully. “Guys, what…?”

The sound of the warning ring covered whatever he wanted to ask. Malik moved towards Yugi, placed Yugi’s hand in his and pulled him towards their class. Yugi followed his friend but he was starting to get tired of this game. He would ask his friends what the hell was going on during lunch. He couldn’t go on feeling like an idiot. He felt as if there was a play going on and he had a complete different script. 

Seeing Yugi being dragged away by Malik, Yami turned to the rest of the boys. “Is Yugi dating Kaiba?” he demanded, anger sipping through his baritone voice.  
“Why do you care?” Joey asked, defensively. 

They had all started walking towards their classes but Yami wasn’t about to let them drop the subject. “Tell me!” He almost screamed. Understanding he had to be calmer, Yami lowered his voice. “I thought you liked Kaiba.”

“The moneybag? You are funny, Yami” Joey said and actually laughed. “Nah, never. I don’t like being called a dog. You should know better.” They had almost reached the older boys’ class. “Yug, however, is another case. The cold king seems to have a soft spot for him. He seemed like he couldn’t contain himself yesterday. He wanted me out of the car as soon as possible.” His expression was caught between a grimace and a smirk. “He did say something about Yugi’s clothes being at his house after all.”

Yami’s fists were on his sides but he wished he could bring them in contact with something solid, Kaiba’s face preferable.

“Yugi would never…” He said between his teeth.

“Well,” Ryou started shyly, a faint blush upon his cheeks, “Yugi is really cute after all. He is…always nice to Mokuba too. I can see why Kaiba would be so fascinated by him.”

Yami turned to Ryou and the boy blushed even more. He wanted to comment on that but Bakura and Marik shoved him inside their class saying they were late. The younger boys smirked and walked to their class. The class hadn’t started since their teacher wasn’t there yet. Joey took his seat behind Yugi with Tristan on his side while Ryou took the seat in front of Yugi. Malik was on Yugi’s side. Malik and Yugi were in a conversation which Tea, several seats ahead was trying to listen to. Tristan noticed it.

“So, what are you two talking about?” Tristan asked, loud enough for everyone around to hear. “Aren’t we included in the conversation?” He covered his tracks.

“No, you aren’t.” Malik said sarcastically. “Can’t I have a moment with Yugi?” 

“Come on, Malik! You always try to have Yugi all for yourself. What is it all about?” Joey challenged. “Anyway, Yugi seems to be Kaiba’s property now.” 

“I am not Kaiba’s property!” Yugi said a bit too loud. “Seto is just…” he stopped. He didn’t know how to continue.

“Yeah, sure. You totally convinced us.” Tristan chuckled. “Hey, our teacher is here. We will talk later.”

Yugi sighed and turned to face his teacher only to be grabbed by blue eyes full of rage. Tea hadn’t turned to look at the teacher. Her attention was on Yugi, her eyes never leaving him. Her mind was trying to wrap up around what she had heard.

“Mrs. Gardner, if I could have your attention” the teacher called her and Tea had to turn.

However, she didn’t hear a word of what her teacher was saying. Her mind was elsewhere. She had been more than surprised when Kaiba brought Yugi to school the first time but dismissed it as them being almost friends. However, Kaiba’s words had been teasing her. Kaiba told Yugi to be a good boy. Then, he came and picked him up saying that Yugi would get what he wanted. Who was he to make such claims? What was his relationship with the young boy? Why was he allowed to touch Yugi? The first day at school he had acted as if Yugi was his favorite pet. 

“Yugi…” the name came out of her lips, a bare whisper. 

Tea had agreed to join Yami and his friends at the mall. She had started getting tired of Yami. His kisses were good, but she didn’t want him. No. He was just a pawn to her plan of breaking Yugi enough for her to have him. She had tried to be a good friend to him and make him fall in love with her during elementary. Sure, in the beginning she wasn’t that interested in him, but his cherubic face and his eyes had won her over. Then again it was the fact that Yugi was so smart. She was sure he would go to the best of schools and be someone great one day. She just had to break him a bit and then make him hers. Tea had been Yugi’s first friend. His only female friend for years. It was only right she would be his girlfriend, fiancée, and later on wife. No one would take him from her. Especially a guy. Yugi must’ve been which is probably why he was always around guys. It was Malik and Marik’s fault. Those two had corrupted Yugi. Not to mention Bakura. Tea was sure he was lusting after Ryou.

Now Tea had one more person to take out. Kaiba. That rich jerk thought he could march into Yugi’s life and make him his. Tea was frustrated too no end when he saw how close Kaiba was to Yugi in the mall. Mokuba had shared with her and Yami that Yugi would be sleeping in Kaiba’s mansion. How far was their relationship? Yugi seemed to be almost oblivious to how close Kaiba was to him. Kaiba was probably closing his trap around the boy very carefully, almost as if he didn’t want to scare Yugi. Nevertheless, Kaiba had made his claim. Whatever Yugi wanted, he would get. If Kaiba was to give him everything, would Yugi accept?

“No, it can’t be.” 

Tea shook her head. Yugi wanted her, only her. He was just confused. It was Malik’s fault. Tea knew Malik was after Yugi. He was probably already bored with Marik and wanted Yugi for himself. That sick boy had to pay. He was confusing Yugi, tainting his innocence. Now Yugi was being pulled away by a dangerous opponent, Kaiba. The older boy had once claimed that only the people he considered close could call him Seto. Yugi had called him Seto some minutes ago, but had claimed he wasn’t his property. Yet, he had slept in his place and would join him there after school. Kaiba had bought him clothes and claimed he had them. Where? In his room? No, that couldn’t be. Yugi would never do such a thing. He had to find out what was going on. But how? She wasn’t closed enough to any of the other guys anymore.

“Katsu Sensei is sick today. The principal advices you to go to the yard and be as quiet as you can be.” their teacher said, forcing Tea out of her musings. She saw how her eyes were on Joey and Tristan. “Since you have a free period, could one of you help me carry some things from my office to the principal’s office?” she asked softly, her eyes travelling across the class.

No one was surprised when Yugi volunteered. Tea’s eyes followed him while he followed a beaming teacher out of the classroom. Yugi was always extremely polite and kind. Of course he would volunteer. It was all good because Tea wanted him out of the classroom. Now she had to find out how she would find out more about Yugi’s relationship with Kaiba. However, she didn’t need to try hard. It was as if God wanted her to find out. As she was about to leave the classroom, walking behind the gang, she heard Ryou talking.

“Malik, what’s going on? Why are you always cornering Yugi?” an angry Ryou asked his friend. 

Tea looked surprised. She had never seen Ryou angry. What was going on?

“None of your business, Ryou. Why do you even care? Do you want Yugi all for yourself? Don’t think I haven’t noticed how you look at him, always blushing when Yugi is close” Malik said with malice, speeding up a bit.

Ryou blushed and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Tea’s eyes widened. She had suspected Malik was lusting after Yugi but how was Ryou involved? 

“You have Marik. Why do you want Yugi as well?” Ryou answered back after a pause. They both seemed oblivious to the fact Tea was behind them. “Aren’t you satisfied? What would Marik say?”

“Actually, Marik has no problem.” Malik’s remark was sharp. Everyone was taken by surprise. “We can share Yugi.” A soft blush colored Malik’s cheeks as he said the last part.  
Joey tried to break their fighting seeing Tea behind them. “Ehm, guys, we are here too. Anyway, Yugi is with Kaiba.”

“I don’t think Kaiba fully got Yugi yet” Malik shot back. “Sure, he has a head start but that’s all. Yugi has known me longer than Kaiba. He wants a gentle lover, not a cold vampire like that Kaiba brat.”

Tea found herself rushing towards the boys. “How come all of you suddenly want Yugi?” She demanded. 

“Tea! You live!” Malik said, with fake surprise. “I thought you had died long ago.”

Joey and Tristan laughed, but she didn’t care. She waited for a reply. She needed to know why these two thought they had a chance with her Yugi. However, neither Malik nor Ryou seemed to be willing to answer her question. They simply walked away from her and towards the Sakura tree the gang had claimed as their own. 

“You shouldn’t startle people like that, Tea” Tristan advised, however he didn’t seem that dissatisfied by the fact the girl was there. “Why do you care about Yugi anyway?”

Tea smiled seeing an opportunity to get the information she wanted. “Yugi was my best friend growing up. I still care about him. I wouldn’t want someone taking advantage of him.” she said, trying to look as innocent and sweet as possible.

Joey rolled his eyes but answered anyway. “We will tell you what we know for the sake of the friendship we once shared.” He made a pause as if trying to gather his mind. “We believe that Malik and Ryou have a crush on Yugi for years. Ryou was always so shy so he never said anything. Malik however has tried many times to show Yugi how much he likes him. I don’t know what Marik thinks of that, but Yugi is oblivious to the whole thing.” He stopped again, his eyes taking in Tea’s disguised look. “Look, I don’t swing that way, but you must admit Yugi is a really good guy with a heart of gold and his looks aren’t half bad either. It’s normal for people to be attracted to him.”

Tea couldn’t help but say, “I thought he thought he had a stupid crush on Yami.” Joey’s eyes lit up but when Tea looked at him she thought she imagined it. “I guess he misunderstood Yami’s ways. You know Yami was so angry when Yugi made a move to me. He is so possessive of me. Sometimes it’s a bit scary.” Something that should have been a sad sigh escaped her lips. “Sometimes I wonder why we are still dating. He can be rough sometimes. I almost wonder how Yugi would have been if I had said yes that day.”   
She played her part well. She wanted Joey and Tristan to tell Yugi that Yami was a possessive manipulative lover. She wanted Yugi to believe it was him who had made her lie about Yugi asking her out. She had planned to tell Yugi that on her own and fall in his arms as a damsel in distress. Yugi would see that poor Tea was manipulated and scared and Yami was an abusive person who didn’t deserve his care. She would kill two birds with one stone. 

“Do you think Yugi cares for any of them?” She asked slowly. 

Tristan scratched his head. “To be honest, I don’t think Yugi is into guys. He did seem to have a crush on Yami but I think he just misunderstood the feelings of affection for a friend with those towards a lover.” Tea was more than happy to hear that. “Then again, he didn’t discourage anyone from approaching him. I think he is dejected. I heard him once whispering about a girl he loved but was now taken. Something about her not talking to him anymore.”

Tea inwardly congratulated herself. She was sure Yugi was hers. Yugi was always with the gang. He couldn’t have known another girl. She had made sure of that. It had to be her. He was ready to accept her. 

“We better get going now. It’s almost lunch time.” Joey said, grabbing Tristan and hurrying towards the Sakura tree.

Tea didn’t care. She had to plan her next movement. She had to destroy the people who wanted to take Yugi from her. Once Yugi’s trust in them was destroyed, she would go and claim her prize. With a smile upon her lips, the brown haired girl walked back to the empty classroom.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: 

The monotone voice of the teacher usually made the tri-color haired boy feel sleepy during the first period of school, however today he was wide awake. Even if Yami had wanted to focus on the teacher’s words, he wouldn’t have been able to. His mind kept replaying what he had seen and heard some minutes ago. He didn’t know why he was so angry but he was. He closed his eyes resting his forehead on his hands. Why was he so angry? Why had he been so angry since the previous day?

Yugi’s amethyst eyes, beautiful and sparkling as the stone they resembled, flashed in front of Yami. Yami had always felt like he could look into Yugi’s eyes for hours but he had no idea why. The boy was his best friend for years. In a way they were like opposite sides of the same coin. They balanced each other so well. Light and darkness. Not that Yami was exact darkness, but compared to Yugi he was darker. The younger boy was the epitome of kindness and innocence while Yami was always a bit of a rascal, playing pranks on people with Bakura and Marik. He preferred sports to Yugi’s reading. Not that he didn’t enjoy reading, but Yugi could read for hours, completely engrossed in a fantasy world, while Yami preferred using all the extra energy playing basketball or running. However, the two boys loved games and chocolate. They loved being surrounded by a few good friends rather than a crowd of unknown people. In a way it was almost as if the things they didn’t have in common complimented each other.

Yami had felt a pull towards Yugi from the first time he laid eyes on the younger boy. Yami would never admit it to anyone but when he was a child he believed in angels. He really enjoyed sketching when he was younger. He would get inspiration from his mother’s books. His mother had many books about angels. So, Yami knew many things about them. When he first heard Yugi’s laughter, all those years ago, in the schoolyard, he thought it sounded like little bells. He had moved towards the laughing child with the tri-colored hair so similar to his and found a child which looked much younger than him, looking up at him with the most innocent look he had ever witnessed. The kid’s eyes were like jewels. The way the sun reflected on them made Yami dizzy. They were so pure and beautiful. 

When little Yugi saw Yami looking down at him, he didn’t shy away like other kids did when they were met with crimson pools. No, what Yugi actually did was let out another melodic laughter and say, “Let’s play.” His voice had been full of energy and enthusiasm and Yami soon found himself playing with him. After school when Yami’s mother had come to pick him up, Yugi had waved at him happily from his grandfather’s embrace. 

Yami’s mother had asked him about the little kid and Yami told her how Yugi must have been an angel. He talked to her about his eyes and his laughter and how he shined beneath the sunlight. His mother listened smiling and then patted Yami on the head telling him that maybe he should become friends with the little boy. Yami headed her advice and since that day he was always close to Yugi. He even introduced Yugi to his friends. Marik and Bakura would tease Yugi a lot at first. They couldn’t believe the younger kid was only a year younger, but none of them were immune to Yugi’s puppy eyes and his gentleness. Yugi had a way of making friends that amazed Yami. It was as if Yugi was a social magnet. He had managed to befriend Joey and Tristan even after Joey threw him into a pond. That was some weeks before he met Yami but apparently the two boys knew Yugi since kindergarten. 

Then it was Ryou and Malik who transferred to their school. Yugi had managed to draw them to him immediately. He had made shy little Ryou feel more comfortable in a foreign environment and helped Malik understand he would never be alone again. Yami always admired how Yugi had brought everyone together. Yami had only had Marik and Bakura as his friends until Yugi brought everyone together. Yami was a popular kid but he didn’t connect with others easily. Yami was thankful to Yugi for giving him new friends. 

Yami felt a bit sad remembering those friends. Somehow things had fallen apart some months ago. Yami was usually busy being with Tea but then the rumors started. Tea seemed to be distressed by the rumors. She couldn’t understand why the gang hated her. Then came the rumor about Yugi confessing his feelings to Tea. Yami didn’t want to believe it at first. Yugi wasn’t the kind of person who would try to steal a friend’s girlfriend. However, Yugi did sport a red mark exactly where Tea claimed to have hit him while trying to make Yugi stop telling her how much he loved her. Tea had cried saying she felt terrible. Yami had felt anger running through his veins. The next time he saw Yugi at school Yami shouted at him and told the younger boy how much he hated him and ordered Yugi to stay away from him. 

“What am I thinking?” Yami whispered to himself as he tried to focus on the monotone voice but his mind was full of other thoughts.

He had regretted saying those words as soon as they left his mouth but he was so angry. Yugi had tried to talk to him but Yami never let him. Soon the younger boy stopped. The times that Yami felt the need to apologize were when his eyes happened to catch a glimpse of Yugi’s form while walking Tea to class. However, his overwhelming shame and pride kept him from doing so. So, he pulled Tea closer and let her fill the gap he felt in his heart, a gap he hadn’t noticed until moments ago.

“Kaiba is definitely one step ahead.” Yami heard Bakura whispering to Marik, making sure the teacher wouldn’t hear them.

Kaiba. The name sent new bolts of anger through Yami’s veins. That bastard had laid a claim on Yugi. Yami knew that Kaiba was Yugi’s friend because of Mokuba, but he never realized the rich boy was interested in his Yugi.

‘Wow! My Yugi?! What the hell?!’ Yami thought jolting back at his seat. 

Where did that thought come from? Yami ignored it. He didn’t want to think of such a crazy idea. He wanted to be angry at Kaiba. He wanted to tear the other boy apart. But why? Why was he so angry? He had tried to get Yugi out of his head weeks ago. He hadn’t utterly succeeded though. Yami often thought of the younger boy, even if he couldn’t understand how Yugi could have done such a thing all those months ago. He also couldn’t understand how his friends were okay with that. Yet, he couldn’t see why Tea would lie to him. She was always so nice to him.

Yami had been surprised when Tea had asked him out. He was quite flattered. He wasn’t in love with her, but he thought the girl was pretty and sweet. He knew her for a while, so why not? If he wanted to be honest with himself, the way he hadn’t been for months, that wasn’t the only reason why he had dated Tea. It was those rumors. It was those rumors that he heard from one of Tea’s friends about how Yugi was in love with a girl and would confess to her soon. Yami had thought it was his fear of being single in a group of friends that were together that had pushed him to say yes. However, the more he thought about it the more he thought it was a stupid excuse. Anyway Tristan and Joey were still single and Bakura hadn’t asked Ryou out yet. 

“Malik is going to ask him today” he heard Marik saying, a whisper he barely heard. “We need to make our move.”

What the hell did Marik and Malik plan? He faked he was stretching pulling his chair a bit closer to Marik’s desk. 

“Do you think he will agree? Kaiba seems to like him a lot. I have never seen Mr. Iceberg be so soft” Bakura’s voice reached Yami’s ears. 

Yami agreed with that. The way he had touched Yugi this morning had made Yami want to grab his arm and tear it out of its socket. However, he couldn’t help but agree that the touch was so tender, as if Yugi was a delicate flower. Yami too had felt the need to hold Yugi’s pale hand softly the rare times he had the chance to. Like when he was sick years ago, or when he had gifted him with a Kuriboh plush toy. Yami couldn’t help but smile while remembering those times.

What was this pleasurable feeling inside him? Why did thinking of those times make Yami feel so warm inside?

“Yugi” Yami’s ears perked on the mention of Yugi’s name, “has known Malik longer. Don’t you think he will choose him over Kaiba?” Marik whispered, his eyes flying to the teacher for a moment, but he was oblivious to the fact his students didn’t pay attention to him.

Yami was shocked. Marik made it seem like Malik was going to ask Yugi out. However, that couldn’t be. Malik was in love with Marik. They were dating. How could Marik be so nonchalant about it? 

“What about you? Are you okay with it?” Bakura voiced Yami’s thoughts. 

“At first I was skeptical about it, but now I am okay. I actually can’t wait to see Malik tasting those rosy lips of his.” Marik said in a hoarse voice, surely picturing the whole thing.  
Yami was out of his seat in seconds. His abrupt movement knocked his chair over causing the whole classroom to turn their attention to him. The monotone voice stopped. Confused grey eyes looked at Yami as if they had just noticed someone else was in the classroom. Their teacher was always like that but Yami’s act had startled him.  
“Is there some problem?” the teacher asked, not sure what to do.

“No, sir.” Yami answered and righted his chair before taking his seat again.

Soon the monotone voice started talking again. Yami didn’t care. Who cared about some war happening on the other side of the world when his world was crumbling to pieces around him? Yami’s head hurt. His thoughts made no sense. What he had heard made no sense. He had tried to keep himself away from Yugi for so long and now he was beginning to see how much he didn’t know. So many things had happened. Kaiba was in Yugi’s life trying to claim the boy. Malik had always wanted Yugi and now Marik was okay with the younger boy joining them. Just days ago Yugi had turned down a girl. He had turned her down because according to Marik he was taken. Was he with Kaiba? If yes, why did Malik think he had a chance with Yugi? Could it be that Marik had lied because he wanted to have Yugi for himself and his lover? 

Yami was going crazy. Why did he care so much about who would be with Yugi? Sure, it would be shocking if Yugi would date two guys but it wasn’t his business. Nevertheless, just the mention of someone kissing Yugi had made him jump out of his seat. He didn’t want to picture Malik kissing Yugi. He didn’t want to picture Marik or Kaiba kissing Yugi. Could it be because he didn’t want the younger boy to be with a guy? No. Yami didn’t really care. Tea seemed to be uneasy when being close to Marik and Malik, but Yami didn’t mind it. He could see those two loved each other. 

Yami wanted to believe his mother’s words were the ones that affected him the most. His mother believed that love was pure no matter what. His father didn’t seem to share the same beliefs. When Yami had tried to talk to him about Yugi that day they met and how much he believed Yugi was an angel, his father had told him that men didn’t believe other men were angels. Through the years, his father had tried to tell Yami he should think girls were pretty and how one day he would marry one. Yami didn’t care. He knew girls were pretty. He knew one day he would marry one. He couldn’t understand why his father was so against Yugi. Yami felt protective of Yugi. 

His mother liked Yugi. After all those talks, Yami never mentioned Yugi to his father again. He would always go to his mother. Yugi had never been to Yami’s house as long as his father was there. In fact, it wasn’t until after his father left that Yami brought Yugi to his home. His mother adored Yugi, but Yami preferred playing at Yugi’s house. The boy lived above a game shop and had so many games. Yami didn’t feel sad that his father left. He was always cold towards him and always lecturing him on who he should be. His father also had a tendency to constantly belittle his mother, breaking her spirit in the process. Yami could see it. There was no talk about angels and about sketching when the father was around. When he left, the house was lighter. Despite this, Yami’s newfound freedom was overshadowed by his father’s words.

Would he think badly of Yugi for being with a boy? No. That wasn’t the case. Would he have felt the same rage if Yugi was being hit on by girls? Hadn’t he felt anxiety seeing that girl asking Yugi out? 

“Yami. Earth to Yami. Hey, are you listening?” Bakura’s voice broke his musings. 

Yami felt as if Bakura had just pulled him back at the moment he was ready to discover something. One part of him was glad the other boy had interrupted him, but another one was frustrated.

“What?” he asked in an almost angry voice.

“Class is over. We need to move” Bakura answered him. “You don’t plan to skip second period, right?”

Yami sighed and followed Bakura and Marik down the corridor. Second period was kind of a free period. They were given the time to work on a project. Yami, Bakura, and Marik were in the same team. They needed to sign their names at the library and spend their time researching. It was kind of boring but Yami preferred it to the monotonous lesson of the first period. Besides, they only needed a few more things before their project was completed.

In the library, the atmosphere was lighter than usual due to a class of students being in there. It made the large room feel almost normal instead of eerie. Yugi enjoyed being in the library. He would go there not only for his projects but also to borrow books to read for fun. He was one of the librarian’s favorite students. She always made sure to keep any new books Yugi might find interesting until he could check them out. 

Yami on the other hand visited the library only for the sake of his projects. Well, once or twice, while visiting with Yugi, he had borrowed a book or two with inspiring pictures, but that was all. He was trying to be quiet and respectful when he was in the library, but being with Bakura and Marik didn’t help. One day, somehow those two had managed to create a chaos consisting of creased books that almost earned them a ban from the library. From the corner of his eye, Yami could see that Marik was hiding behind a heavy bookcase and texting someone. He arched an eyebrow, Marik was too busy to notice it.

“Malik’s teacher is sick so they have the next two periods free” Bakura explained. “Malik texted him some moments ago.”

Ah, that made sense. Well, that also meant that Yigi was free, too. Maybe if Yami could finish with this part of the project quickly he could slip out of the library and catch the younger boy. And then what? What would he do?

“Let’s find those damn books and get this hell over with” Bakura groaned going through the shelves.

They needed to find some books to help them with a rocky part of their project. Bakura who wasn’t a fan of books always complained that it wasn’t fair that they had to read more books aside from their assigned textbooks. 

“I think I found one of them here.” Marik said as loud as he dared and the others moved towards him.

Yami heard the heavy door of the library open and close. Probably another group of students had already finished their research.

“Here is the second one.” Bakura exclaimed excited. It was obvious that he couldn’t wait to leave that place.

“Nice. Now let’s find a table and then we can-” Yami was cut off by a hand covering his mouth. 

Yami turned to Marik questioning, only to see his friend motioning both him and Bakura to be quiet and stay still. Yami was confused but he heard a voice, a voice he had dearly missed.

“Malik, what are we doing here?” Yugi’s whispery voice was heard from behind the bookcase the three older boys were hiding. 

“Yugi, I needed to talk to you somewhere no one would overhear us. The library seemed like the best option.” Malik whispered back.

Yami saw Bakura removing a heavy book from its shelf very carefully, allowing them to look at the other side of the corridor. Marik mimicked Bakura and removed another book. The opening widened a bit and the three boys could see a piece of blue uniform and a boy’s neck. If Yami moved a bit he could see another boy slightly tanner than the first boy whose skin was white as milk. Yami positioned himself in such a way he could see Yugi the best. He needed to know what Malik wanted to tell Yugi. He kind of knew because of what he had overheard Marik and Bakura discussing, but he wanted to make sure. If it was true, he needed to see how Yugi would react, what he would say. 

“What is that you want to tell me, Malik?” Yugi said softly, and Yami could almost imagine a kind smile blooming on the younger boy’s lips.

Yami saw Malik move a bit as if he was uneasy. “I would like you to join me and Marik at a special place tomorrow, before you go to Kaiba’s.” he said in one breath.

A date! Malik had just asked Yugi out on a date! Yami turned to Marik who was smiling. He was okay with that! So, it was true. Malik had a crush on Yugi and Marik was okay with it. However, Yami knew his friend loved Malik and wouldn’t agree to simply bring a third person in the relationship just like that. Which meant… which meant that Marik probably had feelings for Yugi, too. Yami knew the whole gang was very protective of Yugi, but he had never guessed they harbored such feelings for him.

Another thing that caught Yami’s attention was that Yugi would be at Kaiba’s place on Saturday too. Kaiba had asserted he’d come and get Yugi after school. How many nights would Yugi stay at his place? Why would Yugi return to Kaiba’s? Was Malik bolder now because Kaiba was trying to get with Yugi?

“I don’t mind coming with you and Marik,” Yugi’s reply came. “but I don’t understand why you had to be so secretive about it. What’s so special about this place?”

‘Oh, Yugi, sweet innocent Yugi.’ Yami thought. ‘He doesn’t even get it.’

Couldn’t Yugi see his friend was asking him out? No, he couldn’t. Yugi wouldn’t understand how a friend with a boyfriend could ask him out. He was quite intelligent but as far as Yami knew, the boy was quite clueless when it came to relationships. Yami had grown up with Marik and Bakura. He knew more things.

“It’s a place we want to show you, but only you. I couldn’t tell you in front of everyone. Especially Ryou.”

Yami looked towards Bakura. He knew that Bakura was interested in little Ryou but for all Yami knew, he hadn’t made a move. He always wondered why.

“Ryou?” Yugi’s voice was colored with confusion.

“Yugi, Ryou…Ryou doesn’t like how close you and I are.” Malik answered slowly, as if he was hiding something. “Please, say you will come with us.” he pleaded, his hands capturing Yugi’s.

“S..Sure. Of course, Malik. You and Marik can pick me up tomorrow from home and we can go wherever you want.” Yugi answered, sounding a bit surprised, but also happy to make his friend happy. 

“Thank you, Yugi!” Malik exclaimed, a bit louder now.

Before Yugi knew what was happening, before Yami could take a breath, Malik leaned softly and kissed Yugi’s cheek. Then he smiled and walked towards the exit, leaving a stunned Yugi behind. Little did Yugi know that Yami was just as stunned. Malik had just kissed Yugi’s cheek. Malik had asked Yugi out, and Yugi had said yes. Maybe Yugi didn’t know it was a date but by tomorrow he would. Would he say yes to Malik and Marik? If yes, what would that mean? Not one, but the two boys would have a claim to Yugi, one of them being Yami’s best friend.

Yami stayed there looking at Yugi for a bit more. The younger boy was touching his cheek. Yami could almost hear the younger boy’s heart beating wildly. Then, Yugi composed himself and walked towards the exit too. 

“What the hell was that?” Yami hissed, his eyes finding Marik’s. 

“Well,” Marik started sheepishly, “that was my boyfriend asking Yugi out?” he turned his answer into a question in the end. 

“Yes, I got that. Why?” Yami was losing his patience with every passing second. “Malik is with you” he added as if he was talking to a child and had to explain to him a simple concept. “Aren’t you enough?”

That was a low blow. Marik’s eyes sparkled with anger. “Malik loves me. If you want to know we both believe Yugi is a delectable creature that shouldn’t be alone. We both believe that Yugi should be truly loved. We can give him this love. We will protect him and never leave him alone.” Marik’s eyes narrowed, letting Yami hear the words that have been left unsaid: Like you. 

Yami had left Yugi alone. He had pushed him away. He had told him he hated him and ignored him for two months. No, even before that, Yami never had time for his friend. He was always too busy. Yugi had never complained. Then, the rumors started. However, Yugi had done it. This was his fault wasn’t it? After all Yugi had hit on Tea, right?

“It seems like everyone is trying to get with Yugi.” Yami whispered.

“Well, it was bound to happen. If someone spots a diamond between all the trash, they are bound to take it.” Bakura simply stated.

Yami turned to look at his other friend. “Don’t tell me you want Yugi too.” he groaned.

“Nah. I like teasing him, but he is more like a little brother to me, even if I don’t say it. It’s not like everyone wants Yugi, Yami. Let’s see… Joey is straight. He would never date Yugi anyway. Tristan is after Serenity, much to Joey’s disappointment. I am pretty sure many girls around the school think Yugi is cute but I don’t think any of them will try anything, especially after seeing Kaiba all over Yugi.”

Yami thought about it. “There is also Ryou. I would think you and him would…” Yami stopped seeing Bakura shake his head.

“I asked Ryou out but he let me down easy.” Bakura seemed sad. Yami had never seen him so sad. 

“He what?!” Yami almost screamed.

“Ryou loves another. He’s actually loved that person for years, but has never had the courage to tell them.” Bakura seemed to have a hard time saying these words.

“But who?” Yami asked confused. He had missed so many things.

“I can’t tell you, Yami. I don’t wish to betray Ryou’s trust. He is already so heartbroken that the person he loves is with someone else, or so we think. Or will be.” Bakura seemed to suddenly be angry and confused. “I mean, it’s complicated.”

Marik tried to save Bakura. “Why do you care so much about what’s going on with Yugi, Yami? You were never into gossip, and you seemed to hate Yugi these past months.” There was some animosity in Marik’s voice. Was he already considering Yugi his lover? “Let’s finish here so I can see Malik and Yugi again.”

Yami wanted to scream. “Don’t you want to see Tea, Yami?” Bakura asked, almost too innocently.

Tea. Yami hadn’t really thought of her the past few hours. Even the previous day, his thoughts were mostly centered on Yugi. If Malik and Yugi had the next two periods free, Tea was out too. How could he have not thought of that?

The three boys worked silently on their project for the next ten minutes before they deemed it was okay for them to leave. Yami followed his friends without carrying where they were going. His mind was busy thinking why Yugi was constantly filling his thoughts. Why was Yami reacting so violently to seeing Yugi with someone else? Didn’t he want his friend to be happy?

‘I want him to be happy. Happy with me.’ a little voice inside his head told him.

Yami stopped in his tracks. He wanted Yugi to be happy with him. He wanted Yugi. He wanted Yugi for himself. What he felt was not mere anger. It was jealously. It was poison. He was jealous. He was…he was in love with Yugi. What about Tea? Yami tried to compare what he felt for Yugi and what he felt for Tea. He liked the girl. He had enjoyed her attention and company at first. He had kissed her, often. However, if he wanted to be honest to himself, he wasn’t interested in her. When he was kissing her, he felt nothing. He had dated her because…because he felt alone. No. That wasn’t true. Yami was lying to himself. He dated her because he heard Yugi was about to ask a girl out. Yugi was to be with someone else. 

Yami hadn’t wanted to admit it to anyone, especially himself, but he had been in love with Yugi for years. Now he could see that the admiration he felt for Yugi wasn’t that for a friend. He had cared for the boy since day one. He had wanted to always be with him. They had grown up together. Yugi knew everything about Yami and Yami knew everything about Yugi. They completed each other to a degree that frightened Yami. His father’s words continued to haunt him. He felt that it was wrong to feel this way about his friend. So, when Tea asked him out, he convinced himself that he could fall in love with her.

“What have I done?” he whispered to himself, his eyes and feet traveling towards the sakura tree where everyone was.

Yugi was sitting by Malik and Ryou laughing. Seeing Yugi so happy, Yami turned around and walked back to the school as quickly as he could. He had to think. He had to think of how he would fix the mess he had created. He had to think what he could do. However, no matter how much he wanted to turn back time and fix everything, a voice kept telling him that he was too late. Kaiba, Malik and Marik had already made their move. 

Unaware to him, amethyst eyes had seen him retreating to school. Yugi stopped laughing, the joy from Joey’s joke having disappeared. He wondered why Yami had run back to school. Knowing that he couldn’t get an answer, Yugi turned back to his friends just as Bakura and Marik joined them, and resumed talking with them again.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

A bronze skinned boy moved closer to a second boy who looked so similar to him. Their hands found each other as the youngest boy leaned his back on the oldest one’s chest. A content sigh left both their lips. They stayed close to each other, yet their eyes lingered on the smallest boy of the bunch. Both Malik and Marik took in Yugi as the boy told them about a game he had seen in his grandfather’s store a few days ago. Yugi was excited and looked forward to playing that game with them. He was explaining the story behind the game with such fervor that all his friends had unintentionally moved closer to listen to him. Yugi had a way of telling stories that compelled you to listen. 

“You could come to my place on Sunday so we can play.” he offered after finishing his story. 

“Yes! We haven’t played a new game in a while.” Joey exclaimed, thrilled. “I am in.”

The rest of the gang voiced their agreement. The gang always enjoyed playing games at Yugi’s house because many of the games he shown them were pretty stimulating. They hadn’t had the chance to do it in a while since their teachers kept giving them too much homework over the weekend but now things were calmer.

When second period was over, Marik and Bakura returned to their class while the rest of the guys stayed behind. Joey and Yugi started to duel since both always had their decks at the ready. The rest of their classmates cheered as they watched Yugi and Joey play. When Yugi defeated Joey, Malik was next to try his luck with Yugi only to lose as well. Yugi decided to pass on the next match and just watch Joey duel against Ryou. It was a difficult battle but Ryou won the challenging duel by using his favorite card, Change of Heart.  
“That was fun!” Yugi exclaimed as the bell announced the beginning of third period. 

Math wasn’t Yugi’s favorite subject but he had no problem solving the problems his teacher had assigned to the class. He finished them earlier than the others and spent the rest of the hour looking outside the window thinking about Yami’s retreat. He had almost come all the way to the sakura tree but when he saw the gang, or was it Yugi, he turned around and left as if the devil was chasing after him. Did he hate Yugi that much? Yugi hadn’t wanted to believe it at first, even though Yami’s words that day had hurt so much, but as time passed by he was starting to feel that Yami despised him.

After the bell rang again, the boys decided to spend their free period under the Sakura tree once again, since they would have their lunch time right afterwards. As the group sat comfortably eating their lunch, Malik received a text message from Marik saying that his class had a free period too. The information made Yugi realize that Yami would be out and about as well. Before he could change his mind, Yugi found himself walking away from his friends without explanation and towards Yami’s classroom. Yugi was determined to talk to Yami and find out if the older boy truly hated him. Knowing Yami’s true feelings would help him move on and avoid any further frustrating and awkward situations like the one that they currently found themselves in. 

When Yugi reached Yami’s classroom he was disappointed to find it empty. Yugi wondered why he thought he would find anyone there. Sighing, he left the classroom and made his way back to his friends. He was surprised to see Tea walking towards his direction with Yami following her. Not knowing what else to do and not wanting to face Tea, Yugi hid.   
“Come on, Yami. Our friends are waiting for us at our usual spot. Hurry.” Tea said through her teeth, trying hard not to sound mad.

“Why are you in such a hurry, Tea? We can eat at the cafeteria for a change of scenery.” Yami answered back, his voice showing how tired he was. “Why do we always eat there anyway?”

Tea stopped and turned to face Yami. Yugi risked a glance. “There is something I need to look into, Yami. Something about Yugi.”

Yugi stiffened. What had he done this time? Why was Tea interested in him? 

“What about Yugi?” Yami asked, his voice raising a bit.

Tea sighed a bit. “Apparently our old friends are trying to corrupt Yugi” she said, her voice having an edge Yugi didn’t like. “Now, I know you hate Yugi, but I believe it is wrong allowing them to do this to him.”

“What do you mean corrupt him?” Yami moved closer to Tea. “I don’t hate, Yugi.” he clarified when he saw Tea hesitating to answer his question.

“I was alarmed by Kaiba’s attention to Yugi. We aren’t friends anymore, but I don’t want anyone taking advantage of him.” Tea said with fake concern. “Now, I find out that Malik is trying to make Yugi his boy-toy and it seems Ryou lusts after Yugi as well.” Tea started fuming, but when Yami looked at her questioning, she tried to calm down. “Tristan told me Yugi is straight. However, you know how easily he is manipulated. I am worried about him.”

Yugi wondered if he was somehow transported into a parallel universe. The last days’ events could explain such a thing. First it was Kaiba’s strange behavior and Joey’s indifference. Then, Malik asking him to go somewhere with him and Marik and kissing him on the cheek. Ryou kept blushing around him. Tea seemed to be interested in what he did and said, and Yami had his eyes on him. Yami said he didn’t hate him. A parallel universe could cover all these oddities. 

“Are you sure Yugi is straight?” Yami casually asked, but Yugi could hear that edge it had when he was really nervous. Yugi knew Yami well. 

Would Yami be disgusted if Yugi was into guys? Well, Yugi was practically bisexual. He was attracted to both girls and boys. He cared about the personality more than the body. Anyway, he was in love with Yami. What Yami would think if he found out? Was that why he kept staring at him and Kaiba?

“Oh, I am sure he is. After all, he was about to ask that girl out, remember? Just before we became a couple.” Tea lied with no shame. “He came after me, too, remember? When she rejected him.” She was such a smooth liar.

Yugi couldn’t believe one of his best friends had turned into such a snake. Tea was lying to Yami so effortlessly. She kept spreading lies about him as if she knew everything about him. As if she could control his life. Yugi felt something hot taking a hold of his heart. He was angry. He wanted to come out and tell her to stop lying. He wanted to make her tell the truth.

“Nevertheless, Malik has been after Yugi for a while now. I couldn’t believe Ryou was so vulgar too, but I heard him getting in a fight with Malik about him always being around Yugi. Kaiba keeps driving Yugi to and from school and it seems like they are always together. All of them have encircled him, and soon he will be trapped.” Tea had moved closer to Yami, her voice barely concealing her fury. 

Yami took in Tea’s shaking form and moved to hold her. He now knew he wasn’t interested in her that way but he still cared for her. The girl looked sincerely concerned about Yugi and furious about what the others were trying to do. On the other hand Tea seemed to have a really distorted idea about love between males. He had noticed before that she seemed upset around Malik and Marik but he had never paid much attention to that. Now he understood that Tea was a homophobe. She couldn’t understand that love was love regardless if it was between a male and a female or two males. 

How would she react when she would find out he was in love with Yugi? He needed to break up with her but he didn’t want to do it at school. He was too much of a gentleman to do such a thing. Tea had been nothing but sweet to him so he had to break the news to her gently.

“Yami,” Tea whispered, her hands softly putting a distance between them, “I am sorry.” Yami looked at her confused. “I know it’s not the best of places or times but I need to tell you something.” Yami encouraged her to talk. “I want us to break up.”

Yami pulled away shocked. He hadn’t expected Tea to say those words. Yugi was as surprised as Yami. Tea had tried so hard to snatch Yami away from him. Why would she break up with him now? He wished he could see Yami’s face but he couldn’t risk being caught, especially now.

“Excuse me?” Yami chocked out the words. Then he regained his senses. “I am okay with it,” he said slowly, “but if I may ask why?”

Tea pretended to be sad, but her mind was working hard. Yami seemed to receive the news without any protest. She had wanted him to be mad and desperate. She needed him to be a broken ex-boyfriend so she could use him for her plan.

“I am sorry, Yami. You are wonderful, but lately I feel as if there is a wall between us. I came to understand I care about you, but just as a friend.” she said the words she had rehearsed so many times. “I think I like someone else, but I am not sure. I wanted to be fair to you.”

Yami listened what Tea told him. If she had told him all these things some days ago he probably would’ve been devastated, even though he knew from the very beginning that he wasn’t in love with Tea. He would still feel hurt. Now he felt oddly free. Yet, he wanted to be fair to her too since she had been so sincere towards him about her feelings.

“It’s alright, Tea. I actually wanted to talk to you about the same thing too, but I just didn’t want to do it at school.” Yami confessed, taking a breath and Tea’s hand in his. “I’ve realized that I love someone else. I have always loved this person, since we were children, but I couldn’t admit it to myself. I didn’t want to hurt you but I needed to tell you the truth.”

Tea’s face was an emotionless mask. Inside she was burning with rage. How could Yami even think of breaking up with her? She was all he could dream of. He was only causing her trouble. What was that about loving someone? Who could it be? He was an inconvenience to her but she could still use him. He was without friends now while she had her group. She would still spread the rumors and get Yugi before anyone could get to the truth. But who was he in love with? A person he knew since they were children. Someone only recently he realized he loved. She had been with him all the time. When did he meet this person? It couldn’t be…

Her eyes found Yami’s and she slowly took a step back. No, it couldn’t be possible. “Who are you in love with?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

“I can’t tell you that, Tea. I am sorry. I think I am too late anyway. I hurt this person very much and now someone else tries to claim their heart.” Yami whispered back, his eyes on the floor. 

Both of them stayed silent for a while, mirroring the silence of the boy who remained hidden a few meters away. Yugi had heard everything. His heart was beating crazily fast. He couldn’t believe what he had heard. He backed away slowly and then started running towards the bathroom. Yugi rushed into the bathroom and into the closest empty stall to sit in. His mind was clouded by what he had heard. Yami and Tea had just broken up. Yami was in love with someone else. Someone he knew for years. Who could it be? If he knew this person for so long shouldn’t Yugi know them too? A girl. Yami was popular with girls but he had never shown much interest to anyone. The girls Yugi and Yami knew since childhood were Rebecca, the granddaughter of his grandfather’s best friend; Serenity, Joey’s little sister. Last time Yugi had heard of her she was in Italy dreaming of becoming an actress. Rebecca was five years younger than Yami and Serenity was courted by Tristan under Joey’s watchful eye. Of course, Yami may have known other girls who he had never mentioned to Yugi.

“Or it could be a boy?” a little voice told Yugi. 

Just because Yugi had assumed Yami was into girls, it didn’t mean it was true. After all he had never said it was a girl. He had said person. It could be a boy. Yugi knew Yami’s father had taught him only a boy and a girl could be in a relationship, but who could tell the heart what to feel? Maybe Yami couldn’t help but fall for a male. Yugi sighed in frustration. He didn’t want to make assumptions. He just needed to wait. Yami was free from Tea now but he was in love with someone else.

“I wonder where Yug is?” Yugi heard Joey’s voice coming from outside the stall. He hadn’t heard the door opening. “He left us all of the sudden. He isn’t in our classroom either. The bell for lunch will ring soon, so I guess he’ll come back.” It sounded as if Joey was talking on the phone. “I am not a dog to sniff him out!” Joey’s voice came out louder. “I said I am not a dog! Seto, I swear…” 

Yugi covered his mouth so as not to laugh. Of course. Leave it to Kaiba to tease Joey. He always had a dog joke to throw at his boyfriend. It was quite hilarious and cute actually, even though he would never admit that in front of Joey.

“Our plan is going alright. Tea believes Yugi is straight and that you, Malik, and Ryou are fighting over him. Marik said that Yami was furious upon finding out about Yugi’s date with Malik and Marik. When Bakura saw him last he looked like he had come to a revelation. Bakura swears the idiot finally understood he wants Yugi.” Yugi’s heart stopped. “Our plan is successful. Yami is jealous as hell. I am glad we didn’t tell Yugi about it. He would be so sad if it didn’t succeed. Plus, Malik is right. Yugi wears his emotions to his sleeve. He wouldn’t be able to play along.” Yugi frowned a bit. “Hey, two minutes to lunch. I need to get going. I am hungry.” Kaiba must have said something to him because Joey hung up and swore loudly before leaving the bathroom.

Yugi waited for a moment and then came out leaning on the sink, looking at his reflection in the mirror. It took him another minute but with more pieces of the puzzle in his hand now, he could finally understand what was going on. His friends, concerned about his broken heart, had come up with a crazy plan to see if Yami cared about him. A plan that Joey thought as successful. Another piece of the puzzle clicked as it came to its right position. Kaiba was acting that way because he was trying to make Yami jealous. Tristan had told Tea he was straight. Malik had asked Yugi on a date. A date! Yugi thought Malik’s behavior was odd but he would have never imagined he was asked to go on a date. Ryou’s behavior was an act too. Another piece of the puzzle fell in place. Yami was in love with someone he knew since he was a child. Yami was in love with him. A great part of the puzzle clicked in his mind.

“Yami loves me.” he said aloud, as if the thought was crazy. “He loves me.” he repeated to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.

Should he go and talk to him? Should he confront his friends? Tell them he knew about their plan? No. A smile, an almost wicked smile took its place on his lips. Yugi’s big amethyst eyes sparkled with mischief. His friends thought he wore his feelings on his sleeve. They thought he wouldn’t be able to play his role. It was true Yugi was always sincere. The young boy knew he was innocent and treasured his innocence as much as his friends did but he had spent the last days wondering what the hell was going on. He had thought he was going crazy. He was thankful to his friends for all they had done and loved them for how far they had gone to make sure he would be happy, but it was time for him to have some fun too.

Still smiling, Yugi walked out of the bathroom as the bell rang announcing their lunch hour. Perfect. It was time for the game to change and who was more capable to win this new round but the King of Games himself.


	7. Chapter 7

A young boy walked towards a group of boys with an innocent smile upon his rosy lips. The soft breeze played with his tri-colored hair as he sat down close to a boy of his age with beautiful white hair. The tri-color haired boy flashed a wide smile to the other boy and opened his lunch box. His amethyst orbs flashed with excitement as he took in what his grandfather had prepared for him. The tantalizing smell of octopus sausages and onigiri reached his nostrils as he took his chopsticks between his fingers, a new smile appearing on his face.

“Ryou, say ah.” Yugi said softly, his chopsticks gripped around an octopus sausage. 

The white haired boy looked at him bewildered at seeing his friend’s attempt to feed him. Understanding that the other boy wouldn’t letup, Ryou opened his mouth and slowly took in the food. Amethyst eyes took in every single movement of his lips making the white haired boy blush. When he swallowed, Yugi let out a giggle of delight and proceeded to feed Ryou another sausage. Yugi’s eyes never left Ryou as the boy ate one more sausage. 

“Y…Yugi?” Ryou questioned when his friend turned back to his food, using his chopsticks to eat some of his lunch.

“Octopus sausages are your favorite” Yugi offered as an explanation. “You can have all of them if you want.” he added with a soft smile and moved his lunchbox towards Ryou. “Or I can give them to you the same way I did moments ago.”

“N..No…I…I’m good” Ryou managed to say, his voice raising a bit sounding almost like a squeal.

Yugi let his shoulders fall down and continued to eat his food; oblivious to the glare he received from Bakura. Actually everyone had their eyes on him, but Yugi was too busy eating his onigiri. He always enjoyed those rice balls. Then, a thought came to him. He turned towards Malik. The bronze skinned boy was sitting on his other side. Malik had a love for strawberries so his sister, Ishizu, would often buy him some even if they were out of season. Stealing a glance towards Malik’s lunchbox confirmed that the boy had a bunch of strawberries in there.

“Malik,” Yugi started sweetly, his voice as soft as silk, “do you think I could have one of your strawberries?” 

Iris eyes met amethyst jewels as the two boys looked at each other. Uncertainty and softness met glee and warmth. Malik held up a strawberry. Yugi turned his body a bit and softly placed his hand around his friend’s. Malik was too confused to react. Before he could say anything, Yugi brought Malik’s hand close to his lips and circled the fruit with his pouty lips taking the strawberry in. Malik didn’t withdraw his hand until Yugi was done. 

“Mmm, yummy.” Yugi said softly, his lips allowing a noise close to a moan. “Thank you, Malik.” 

His beaming smile was the only thing Malik saw before his vision was obscured by black, Yugi’s hair tickling his chin, and a warmth on his cheek. Then his vision was alright again. His hand automatically shot towards his cheek as if he could still feel the smaller boy’s lips there. However, his mind was busy analyzing what he thought he heard Yugi whispering before he kissed him. It’s only fair. What was only fair? 

Marik’s hands around Malik had loosen up. Probably his boyfriend was as confused as Malik. None of them could understand Yugi’s tactics. The young boy had never before behaved that way. But, it was not unusual of Yugi to be affectionate towards his friends. He had never before kissed anyone’s cheek aside of during their birthdays maybe, but Malik had kissed him in the library. Maybe that’s why Yugi had mimicked the action. Marik seemed to have reached the same conclusion, because he relaxed and held Malik close again. 

Malik smiled at Yugi. His iris eyes were full of warmth towards his friend. He liked seeing Yugi smiling that way. Malik had once thought he had a crush on his friend but he loved Marik with all his heart. Yugi could be adorable indeed but he knew his love for Marik surpassed any crush. It was actually during a half drunk game with Marik that Malik had answered that if they would ever consider a threesome he would choose Yugi. Malik of course knew that Yugi would never agree to such a thing but hey, the question was silly anyway. Marik had considered it for a moment and then agreed. He had said he wouldn’t mind the little one. It was from that game that Malik had come up with his and Marik’s part in the scheme. 

Marik’s eyes traveled away from his boyfriend and Yugi and found their target again. He hadn’t moved his eyes from another friend of his since the lunch bell had rang. His crimson eyed friend was sitting beneath a tree, the same tree Tea and her friends always occupied. However, for the first time in months Yami and Tea weren’t holding hands or feeding each other. They actually seemed to keep a distance even though they were sitting together. In fact both of them were looking at Yugi. Yami seemed to be really surprised, shocked even, while Tea looked as if she wanted to grab Yugi and rip all of them apart.

An evil smile appeared on Marik’s face. He knew how to make things more interesting. Yugi’s action had triggered a new plan in his mind but would the young boy react the proper way? Yugi didn’t know about their plan. His reactions until that moment had been perfect. Innocent little Yugi had been too shocked and confused, dismissing their flirting for games between lovers or teasing between good friends. Marik wanted to take advantage of that to make Yami boil but he was worried about how Yugi would react. Nevertheless he was about to give it a try. He knew his lover would catch up with his plan.

“Hey, Yugi,” Marik’s voice was pleasant and carefree, “Malik has many strawberries in his lunchbox. More than he could eat on his own. Why don’t you have some more?” An innocent proposition. 

Yugi looked a bit unsure but then he shrugged and looked at Malik for confirmation. When Malik, confused as well but not worried, nodded, Yugi moved closer to his bronze-skinned friends and waited for Malik to transfer some strawberries to his own lunchbox. Marik shook his head as if that wouldn’t do. He removed Malik’s lunchbox from his boyfriend’s hands, letting it rest on the grass. 

“If you want them, you need to come closer” Marik said, his voice almost seductive. “You wouldn’t want to mix the sweet flavor with what remained in your lunchbox.”

Yugi’s amethyst eyes sparkled as if they were on fire. Marik hadn’t seen his eyes doing such a thing before and he wondered if he had gone too far. The young boy’s eyes seemed to take in the position Marik and Malik were. Marik had his arms around his boyfriend with Malik leaning his back against Marik’s torso, sitting between the older boy’s kneeled legs. Coming closer would mean he would have to lean on Malik or kneel by his side and let him feed him. He didn’t like that idea. If Marik was ready to make this move, the King of Games was ready to take a risk and meet him with a better one.

“No, I wouldn’t want that.” he said with confidence and stood up moving closer to the two boys. 

Malik had caught up to his boyfriend’s plan and found it risky yet ingenious. He too had noticed everyone’s eyes on them since the beginning of their lunchbreak. The people at the other tree were expecting a show. They would give them a show. Malik picked a strawberry and held it out for Yugi. However, he was in for the shock of his life when instead of seeing Yugi kneeling to get it, the young boy turned his back to them, sat down and laid his head on Malik’s lap. His big eyes shone beautifully looking at his friend expectedly. His lips were parted expecting the fruit to land on them. 

Malik felt his breath being stolen. His eyes betrayed the bewilderment he felt. His cheeks turned a faint red. His hands trembled. Unconsciously he leaned slowly towards the young boy. He stared at the beautiful amethyst orbs that seemed as bewildered as his at first before turning into the trusting lights they always were for his friends. Yugi’s body was relaxed as it was leaning on Malik’s. Still unable to look away or pull back, Malik felt grateful when a bronze-skinned hand reached between them and placed the strawberry’s tip close to Yugi’s lips. Those same rose lips that surrounded it before taking the offered fruit. Malik’s nose almost touched Yugi’s as the boy positioned himself better in order not to choke on the strawberry. It was only then that Malik pulled back, Marik’s hands securing him close to his body once again.

‘What the hell just happened?’ was the only thing that Malik could think as his eyes followed Yugi’s movements. 

Yugi’s head titled with innocence catching his friend staring at him. Malik swallowed hard. He slowly looked up to meet his lover’s gaze. Marik seemed as shocked as his boyfriend. He could feel Malik shivering. Marik was unable to understand what had happened there. He had tried to taunt Yami and Tea by teasing Yugi a bit more directly than usually, but it had turned into so much more. Marik couldn’t blame his boyfriend for being caught in Yugi’s spell. He was mesmerized as well. Was the younger boy even aware of what he had just done? Apparently no as he was eating his strawberry happily and even reached for another when he was done. Malik gave him one more, this time placing it in Yugi’s hands, afraid any teasing would result to more contact with the tri-color haired boy.

Suddenly a loud sound was heard and everyone turned towards its source. Seven sets of eyes locked with an enraged Tea who had just thrown her lunchbox against the tree trunk before walking away. Seven sets of eyes expected to see a tri-color haired boy with crimson eyes following her, but were surprised when it was one of her friends that did so instead of Yami. No, the owner of the crimson rubies was frozen as an ice status, his blonde bangs concealing his face. 

“What was that about?” Joey broke the silence that erupted after Tea’s dramatic exit. No one seemed to know the answer. Joey turned towards his little friend. “Yugi, are you okay?” he asked, worried about his friend’s strange behavior.

“Yep!” Yugi beamed happily. “The strawberries were amazing. Thank you, Malik.”

Yugi’s voice was filled with the pure joy of a child. Everyone couldn’t help but giggle at the sound. Yugi joined them and soon all of them were laughing. They quickly fell back into the routine of lunchtime, talking about different things and discussing their upcoming project. Ryou reminded them of their study session on Saturday. Apparently Marik and Bakura would join them wanting to spend time with their lovers. The younger boys had no problem with that even though they knew Bakura and Marik would be more of a distraction than help. 

When lunchbreak was over, everyone frowned. They had spent so much time out that they didn’t want to go back inside even though they had to. The rest of the school day seemed more tedious and they couldn’t wait for the last bell. Their lessons were boring and most of them were lost in their thoughts. So many things had happened during the day that they needed time to process them.

Malik was still lost in thoughts of Yugi’s closeness to him. His mind kept screaming to him he had come so close to kissing his friend. When he had leaned on Yugi he was wondering how his lips would taste. He couldn’t deny that. He was thinking it didn’t feel even half bad having Yugi’s head on his lap. He wasn’t ashamed of these thoughts but they did bother him a bit. He was supposed to be thinking of how he would bring Yami and Yugi together, not about kissing Yugi’s lips. He shook his head, internally laughing at himself for entertaining such thoughts. It wasn’t wrong to find his friend attractive, especially since he knew he would never betray his boyfriend. Furthermore, he thought he’d caught something in Marik’s eyes too when he last looked at him before they had to return to their classes.

Marik hadn’t heard a word from what his teacher had said. He wasn’t really interested. His interest had remained to the scene beneath the sakura tree. Yugi was such a surprise. Marik had always thought of Yugi as the perfect example of innocence and purity. His Malik was innocent as well, but he had no problem hurting anyone who would hurt him or his friends. Marik had also heard Malik cursing in a variety of languages when he was angry. It was quite amusing. He loved Malik so much. He was a bit jealous the first time he had heard Malik confirming he had a crush on Yugi. Marik had noticed how protective Malik was of Yugi. He had even considered them being involved at some point, before the two boys became a couple. It wasn’t hard believing that Yugi and Malik were just friends. None of them were liars. Marik was smart enough to know that.

When he had gotten Malik kind of drunk one day his family was out of town, they had played a game of truth or dare. He had slipped the question then under the guise of the game. He had heard Malik’s answer but surprisingly he wasn’t jealous anymore. He knew that Malik had a small crush on Yugi but he also knew Malik was his. It was a strange feeling. Maybe it was them drinking, maybe it was the feeling of Malik’s lips on his, maybe it was the fact he knew Yugi would never agree to such a plan. However, a small voice in his mind kept telling him that maybe it was because if Malik didn’t exist maybe he would consider the young boy as well. Innocence and warmth can attract people like honey attracts flies. Marik knew he had felt desire seeing Malik so close to Yugi under the sakura tree. He was intrigued. He wasn’t too proud of his thoughts but he wouldn’t deny them either.

By his side, Bakura had stopped even pretending he was listening to the teacher. Why would he care about Ancient Greece? What did he care about the philosophers and their theories? He liked that Dias guy, commonly known as Zeus, because he had all these adventures with women, but the teacher had covered the gods and goddesses the previous days. The white haired boy had no interest in the lecture which suited him just fine since he wanted some time to think about Ryou. Ryou was always on Bakura’s mind but after seeing Yugi feeding his boyfriend he was feeling strange. Ryou had blushed a beautiful crimson as Yugi was staring at his lips. Now, he knew that neither Yugi nor Ryou had a real interest in each other, although Yugi’s behavior had been odd and Ryou had always had a soft spot for Yugi, but Bakura was still feeling strange. The incident under the sakura tree had made Bakura understand how much he loved Ryou and how much he didn’t want to lose him. He wanted to tell the world the younger boy was his. 

“Bunny is all mine.” he whispered and then looked around to make sure no one heard him.

Yes, Ryou was his little white bunny. He wouldn’t let anyone take him from him. Yugi wasn’t a threat. Bakura considered Yugi a younger brother and the young boy knew it. Sure he had been strange some minutes ago but it was Malik and Marik that had started it. Yugi would never go after another’s lover. After all the boy was crazy in love with Yami. Bakura just wanted to make sure no one would think Ryou was free and there to be taken. He would soon make sure everyone knew of their relationship. Tea would be destroyed and they would be free to express their love in school too.

Ryou was taking notes paying attention to the teacher but from times to times he would turn his eyes towards the window, the glass reflecting the image of the boy sitting behind him. Yugi seemed to be in a really good mood. He had a soft smile on his lips that the white haired boy knew was there only when Yugi was happy. Ryou couldn’t believe how much he had missed Yugi’s smile. The boy was always cheerful, even when he was sad, but a real smile of happiness hadn’t graced his face since that rumor had started. Ryou focused back on his notes thinking of how Yugi had fed him during lunch. It was true that he loved octopus sausages but Yugi had never fed him before. His action was so unexpected that Ryou couldn’t help but blush.

Catching Ryou looking at him through the glass, Yugi smiled more and then did another thing that Ryou didn’t expect. He winked at him. Ryou blinked softly but this time he managed not to blush. Yugi was a kindred spirit to him. They were both shy and kind. Being polite to everyone was a way of life for Ryou. He had not been bullied as Yugi had but people wouldn’t try to approach him because they thought he was too meek to be their friend. Yugi had no problem with that. He had befriended Ryou from the very first day at school. Ryou could think of Yugi as nothing else but his best friend. He had agreed to subtly show he was interested in Yugi because he could blush easily and because he knew people thought he and Yugi would make a cute couple.

He had heard some girls weeks ago talking about them. They were saying how they would be the cutest couple ever. Bakura had made fun of this thought when Ryou told him. He had said that they would be too sugary cute for anyone to handle. Ryou knew that Bakura would never be mad at such a thought because it held no truth. Anyway, Ryou believed that two people that were quite similar could make a nice couple but not stay together for long. He loved how he and Bakura weren’t the same when it came to the personality department. Ryou could center Bakura while Bakura helped Ryou to let go once in a while. They were perfect for each other. If it wasn’t for all those rumors and hate he would receive because of Tea, he would have told the world he was with Bakura. He was planning to, but he needed some time first.

Joey needed some time too. His friends knew about his relationship with Kaiba but he didn’t want the whole world to know. It wasn’t their business. With Seto out of school, it was easier. Joey wasn’t into holding hands and public kisses so he was fine with his relationship being a secret. Kaiba was the owner of a company so Joey thought it was okay to wait and see how their relationship would proceed before they made it public. They were a new couple considering Seto had officially asked him out only a month ago. Yeah, sure there was a spark there since always but they had become boyfriends only some time ago. It was another reason why he would have never asked Kaiba for money when he had needed it for Serenity’s surgery. He didn’t want to depend on Seto.

Yugi was his childhood friend. It was another thing entirely. They boy had been dead set on the fact Joey didn’t owe him anything. Serenity was like a sister to him. He had helped his sister. End of the story. He knew that Joey would have done the same if it was him or his grandfather in such a tight spot. Joey stole a glance to Yugi. The boy seemed in a good mood and Joey liked that. He was still furious that Yami had managed to steal a part of Yugi’s happiness. He didn’t know why his friend was so playful and happy the last hour but he didn’t care. He just wanted Yugi happy again.

Tea’s eyes were on Yugi. It had taken her quite some time to calm herself down. She still couldn’t believe what she had witnessed. Yugi had fed Ryou, which upset her but not as much as Yugi interacting closely with Malik and Marik. The older Egyptian had put Yugi on the spot by trying to have his boyfriend feed Yugi some strawberries. However, Yugi had surprised everyone by laying his head on Malik’s lap. Tea had wanted to go and grab Yugi away from that gay boy but then Malik leaned down. He had almost kissed Yugi! Her Yugi! How dare he try to corrupt Yugi that way? How could he mistaken his innocence for encouragement? He was a corruptor. He was a pervert. Both he and his boyfriend needed to stay away from her Yugi. 

Beautiful Yugi who seemed to be in a good mood since the incident. Tea could only explain it as a confirmation Yugi loved her. He must have seen how angry she was, seeing those disgusting boys so close to him. She was sure Yugi was happy because he noticed how she had distanced herself from Yami, sitting with him only to keep the gossipers at bay until she could feed the school with her own rumors. She was going to get her Yugi sometime during the next week. Then the boy would smile only for her. Then she would train him to be the perfect boyfriend. He would be perfect, she was sure.

Tristan noticed Tea smiling. After her dramatic exit he had his eyes on her. At first she was livid. Her eyes were following Yugi like a hawk. Tristan expected to find her upset since Yugi seemed to be in a good mood but Tea actually seemed pleased by that. Tristan wished he could understand his former friend. He was always one of her supporters, thinking her friendship speeches were a remedy to his past. He and Joey used to bully kids during kindergarten and the first grades of elementary school. Even after being forgiven by Yugi, sometimes they were cruel to others. Yugi had made them see they didn’t need to hurt others to feel better. Tristan didn’t know how to express his anger at not having a mother since she left him alone after dying from cancer. He was jealous of the kids that had mothers. Yugi had helped him very much. He had no parents so he knew how he felt.  
Tristan hung his head in shame. He had a secret he had told no one but Yugi. He was the one who had told Tea about Yugi confessing to Yami. He had found out by Joey and upon meeting Tea he shared the news with her thinking she would be happy for Yugi. He had never expected Tea would do such a terrible thing. Tristan had confessed to Yugi what he had done but the young boy couldn’t be angry at his friend. It wasn’t his fault. He had thought Tea could be trusted. Yet, Tristan felt responsible for Yugi’s unhappiness. Maybe things would have been different had he not told Tea about Yugi’s feelings. Yami seemed to react the way a man in love would react seeing the love of his life slipping through his fingers. 

That’s exactly what Yami was thinking. Yugi had slipped right through his fingers. He had the boy’s attention and friendship and he had thrown everything away. Now he didn’t know if there was even a chance for him to make things better. Tea had said Yugi was straight but Yugi didn’t seem to be extremely bothered by the male attention he was getting. Then again maybe Yugi couldn’t really understand he was getting that kind of attention. When he and Yugi were still friends, he used to find excuses to touch the boy. He hadn’t been aware of his feelings back then but he was always happy holding Yugi’s hand or pulling him close to him while playing games. It was innocent enough to his eyes, but seeing things from a different perspective now he thought that maybe his intentions hadn’t been that innocent. 

Yami was in love with Yugi. He couldn’t deny it any longer even if he wanted to. Yugi had a number of suitors. Probably the younger boy was oblivious to the fact that they were his suitors. However, it was obvious they didn’t wish to keep Yugi in the dark. They were all, well maybe Ryou not so much, making their respective moves. He was late, but he couldn’t give up. No. He had to tell Yugi, but, he didn’t know when. Kaiba would pick him up after school. Malik and Marik would take him out on Saturday. After that he would return to Kaiba. If he wanted to talk to Yugi, he had to do it exactly after school. It would be sudden. It would be strange. Yami had told Yugi he hated him. He had just broken up with Tea. However, he had to do it. It was now or never. Either he would try exactly after the last bell or he would be too late. Way too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think? Isn’t Yugi mesmerizing? I had so much fun writing his part. He did nothing I wouldn’t do. You should never challenge a quiet person. I also decided to give you access to everyone’s thoughts. I want everyone to be included. By now you know the drill. You don’t have to, but I would love to hear from you through a review or PM.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

The shrilling noise of the last bell echoed through the school. The students were out of their seats with their backpacks strapped on their shoulders long before the sound was over. Their eyes had lost their dullness as they were finally free from the prison they called school. It was finally time for the weekend to start. Laughter and conversations filled the corridors as the students made their way to their lockers and then out of the building. No one wanted to spare another moment in the knowledge prison. The teachers, of course, were just as relieved as their students to have some time for themselves but handled the matter with dignity.

As the students walked towards the exit, a white haired boy had his arm entangled to the arm of a tri-color haired boy who in turn had his arm entangled to a bronze-skinned boy. The trio walked towards their lockers, giggles following every few words of their conversation. Many students stopped to look at the trio. Everyone knew who they were. Ryou, Yugi, and Malik were three of the cutest boys at school. It was a terrible shame that Malik was with Marik. Ryou was too shy to be approached while Yugi had recently been the center of attention. Rumors had it that he was dating Kaiba. Many girls had been angry and jealous seeing the outsider getting a chance with the young boy. Yugi had never shown any interest to anyone before, or so they thought.

“…and Ishizu was frozen for so long that Marik and I thought she would faint. Then, she shook her head and left the room.” Malik’s eyes were smeared with tears of laughter. “It took her an hour to come back in the room. When she did return though she brought her fiancé with her who gave Marik a look that-” 

Malik abruptly stopped his story. His expression suddenly sobered. How could it not? Ryou and Yugi followed his gaze. The tri-color haired boy froze. Standing there, looking like a tired god, was none other than Yami. His back was leaning on Yugi’s locker. His eyes were closed. Yugi couldn’t help but feel his heart beating hard. It took him a moment to calm himself down, but when Yami opened his eyes, and looked straight at him, Yugi had composed himself. He motioned his friends to continue walking and together they took the last steps towards their lockers.

“I would like to use that locker.” Yugi said casually, his eyes showed no emotion at all.

Yami was surprised by Yugi’s casual tone, but didn’t let it stop him. “I would like to speak to you.” Taking in the way Ryou and Malik’s hands were around Yugi’s arms, he added, “Alone.”

The young boy let out a sigh. “Alright. But you will have to do it while we walk to the gates. I don’t want to be late. Seto doesn’t tolerate tardiness.”

Ryou and Malik were as surprised as Yami by Yugi’s response. They looked at each other. Had something changed? Yugi turned to them and said he would join them at the gates. They needed to discuss tomorrow’s study plans. The boys nodded, grabbed their things from their lockers, and left together. Yugi waited for Yami to move aside so he could open his locker, but Yami didn’t seem to notice. It had been a while since he had been so close to the younger boy, alone. There was a time he and Yugi were inseparable. How did they reach this point? Yugi seemed almost impatient to get rid of him. However, in a way it was understandable. After all Yami had been nothing but rude to him during these past months.

“I wanted to apologize.” Yami started, his words sincere and burning. “I’m not sure what happened back then, but I should have never said all those things to you.”

Yugi’s heart fluttered with happiness but he didn’t allow his face to show it. He nodded acknowledging the other boy while taking some things out of his locker. Yami had moved when he had started talking. Yugi controlled his breath the same way he did while playing a crucial round in a game.  
“It happened. It’s in the past now.” 

Yugi’s words were too emotionless for Yami to bare. His Yugi was always forgiving and caring. Now it was as if he didn’t care at all about his apology. It was as if he and Yami were nothing but strangers who had bumped into each other in the hallway. 

“I mean, it hurt a lot, but I am over it. Tea is your girlfriend. You were protective of her” Yugi continued, feeling his words were a bit too cold. “I see no reason to dwell in the past.”  
In reality all Yugi wanted to do was hide in Yami’s arms and tell him he had forgiven him long ago. He wanted to tell him to never hurt him again. He wanted to tell him how much he loved him. However, he didn’t do any of these things. Yami had hurt him and even though now he probably thought he loved Yugi, Yugi had to be sure before he could place his heart in Yami’s hands once again. Yugi knew he wouldn’t survive Yami hating him again and he didn’t want to go through that pain again. As lovers or friends, Yami had to prove he really wanted to be with the younger boy.

Yugi started walking towards the exit. If he wanted to keep his poker face on, he needed to be on the move. Yami walked by his side, collecting his thoughts. His little Yugi seemed detached and anxious to put a distance between Yami and himself.

“Tea and I aren’t together anymore.” Yami revealed, testing the waters. Would it make a difference?

“I’m sorry.” Yugi said, his voice softer now. 

It didn’t matter if they had ended their relationship in a civilized manner. Tea and Yami were in a relationship for some months. Yami must have been in love with her at some point, why else would he accept being her boyfriend? It was one of the reasons why Yugi was reluctant to admit his feelings to Yami so easily. It didn’t seem right that Yami was after him right after breaking up with Tea.

“It was a mutual decision. We both realized we are in love with other people.” Yami confessed, his eyes on Yugi. They were already in the schoolyard. The gates weren’t far away. “I am in love with someone else.” he repeated, increasing his pace in order to catch the younger boy.

They were so close to the gates now. Yugi seemed to walk faster and faster. Yami could see the black limo and a crowd around it. He tried to grab Yugi’s shoulder but the boy was already a step ahead. Yami had to tell him. He could see Kaiba standing there, his eyes on him and Yugi. Kaiba had already started walking towards them. He had to tell Yugi.

“Yugi, I love-”

“Seto!” Yugi’s scream of delight made everyone freeze.

Yami stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide in horror and surprise, as Yugi sped up and fell into Kaiba’s arms. The collision could have hurt the little boy but Kaiba had instinctively held out his arms and placed them around the younger boy when Yugi’s soft arms wrapped around his waist. Seto was used to such hugs from his brother after days of absence in a business trip, but he wasn’t used to them from Yugi. His blue eyes looked down at the boy who was nuzzling his shirt, glad he had the rest of the students behind him. He leaned a bit towards Yugi, feeling lost. He didn’t like the feeling. He was always in control. 

Yugi looked up into Seto’s eyes—ice blue met amethyst gems. Confusion met warmth and innocence. Yugi knew that Seto didn’t know what to make of his behavior, but he didn’t feel uncomfortable in the boy’s arms. Before Kaiba could say anything, Yugi spoke. “I was a good boy today, Seto.”

The statement shook Kaiba. Why had Yugi said that? Yugi’s arms were still wrapped around him, his face hidden in Seto’s shirt. Seto could feel Yami’s eyes on him. Trying to find some normalcy in the situation, Seto raised his eyes and looked straight at Yami whose crimson eyes were full of hatred towards him. He seemed ready to reach for Yugi and pull him away from him, even if it meant violence. Afraid that such an action would bring injury to the younger boy, Kaiba did something he hadn’t planned to do. He softly pulled Yugi’s arms away from his person and moved him behind his back, shielding him from Yami. The younger boy seemed surprised for a moment but soon resumed his position, pushing his cheek on Seto’s back. It helped him hide his embarrassed treacherous red cheeks. 

“Do you have a problem, Sennen?” Kaiba’s cold voice turned into a hiss as he took in Yami’s feral stance. 

“Yes.” Yami hissed back. It was easy to understand if he could, he would really love to kill Kaiba. “You!”

Kaiba raised a perfect challenging eyebrow. “I suggest you deal with it because I have better things to do than wasting my time here with you.”

Kaiba took Yugi’s hand in his and started walking towards the limo. He knew that they had given the lingering students quite a show. However, his plan didn’t really work. Yugi stopped walking forcing Kaiba to do the same. Seto looked at the younger boy, demanding an answer as to why he stopped. He was faced with puppy eyes that were more irresistible than Mokuba’s. Despite his feeble attempt to resist, Seto admitted defeat after thirty seconds. Yugi smiled widely seeing Seto giving up. 

“Can I have my friends over today?” Yugi asked melodiously. 

Kaiba didn’t know what had gotten into Yugi, but he just wanted to go back home. He had things to do, a company to run, so he simply nodded. He didn’t even notice that he still had Yugi’s hand in his as they walked in the car, leaving Yami behind as if he didn’t matter. Yugi’s friends filled the car, unsure of what was going on. Joey’s eyes were wide with surprise and confusion. However, when the door closed, Yugi was sitting between Bakura and Ryou rather than close to Seto.

“What was that about?” Marik dared to ask, not sure what was going on anymore.

Yugi’s behavior had left them with too many questions. The way Yugi had attached himself to Kaiba was so unlike him. When Ryou and Malik had informed the rest of the gang that Yami had made Yugi stay behind but Yugi seemed reluctant to be with him, they were not that surprised. Yami had hurt Yugi so they thought it was normal for Yugi to be cautious around Yami. However, they still hoped Yami would admit to his idiocy, which would bring the two boys closer. They all knew that Yugi would forgive him.

Seto had seen Yami and Yugi approaching. He knew he should let Yami talk to Yugi, but Yugi’s eyes beckoned for his presence. Seto’s feet immediately carried him closer to the younger boy. Yugi didn’t seem to be distressed but Seto wanted to make sure Yugi would be okay. After all, no one said Sennen would get the boy so easily. Kaiba wanted the arrogant fool to suffer. He needed to appreciate the boy for the gem he was.

Of course what Kaiba didn’t expect was Yugi running into his arms. He had teased the boy during the past few days but he didn’t expect Yugi to be bold enough to run into his arms. Since Kaiba was the one who concealed his emotions the best, it was easy for the mindless fools at school to believe his favoritism meant he was Yugi’s lover. Yugi being clueless and knowing Kaiba was in a relationship with Joey would never guess what his friends had planned for him. However, if Seto wanted to be honest with himself, he didn’t mind playing the game. He wanted Sennen to suffer because the idiot had Yugi’s heart and he never understood it. Kaiba would be damned if everyone knew it, but Yugi was important to him. He was part of his family and Kaiba’s first friend.

“I don’t understand.” Yugi said, titling his head to the side as he always did when he was confused.

“Yugi…” Joey started, but stopped, unsure how to proceed. “Did…Yami do anything to you?”

Joey waited anxiously for Yugi’s reply. Maybe Yami was too angry after what happened during the last few days and had retaliated against Yugi. Maybe that was why Yugi had run to Seto the way he did. What other explanation could there be? Joey didn’t want to believe Yami would hurt Yugi, but then again, Yami had emotionally hurt him before. But now Yugi looked happy. His voice was full of delight upon seeing Seto.

“Yami?” Yugi’s eyes were immediately alarmed. “No! No!” he laughed awkwardly when he understood what Joey’s question implied. “He wanted to apologize for what happened.” 

Joey relaxed. Bakura looked at the boy by his side. “What did you tell him?”

“Well, the truth. I accepted his apology but also told him that I am over it.” Yugi shrugged and leaned his head on Bakura’s shoulder, his eyelids feeling heavy. The older boy didn’t seem to mind. 

Yugi hadn’t slept that much the previous night and the day’s activities had tired him. Now that he knew what was going on, he felt he could relax a bit before he could plan his next move. Everyone thought he couldn’t act, but that wasn’t true. He didn’t like to act. However, playing games had helped him create a state of mind where he could control his body’s reactions enough to play his part. It was hard and quite often left him exhausted. In his everyday life, he preferred being himself, honest and affectionate. 

“Yugi?” Bakura said softly, feeling the boy’s weight leaning on him. Yugi looked up at him tiredly. “What do you mean you are over it?”

“I can’t live in the past forever, ‘Kura. I decided to start anew,” Yugi tried to hide a yawn as his eyes started closing, “with someone who truly loves me.”

Everyone had their eyes on him. Everyone wanted answers, but no one dared to speak as the boy slowly fell asleep. The older white haired boy carefully positioned the precious boy so that Yugi’s head was laying on his boyfriend’s lap. Bakura took off his own jacket and placed it on top of Yugi before turning to face his friends. 

“What do you think he means?” he whispered so as not to wake up the sleeping boy. “He looks so tired. Didn’t he sleep last night?” He directed the last question to Kaiba.

“I wasn’t at his bedside all night, Bakura” Kaiba almost growled. Then he relaxed a bit. “I think he stayed up late. He seemed tired during breakfast too.” Seto rubbed his temple, feeling the beginning of a headache. “Why don’t we wait until we are at the mansion and then we can talk while he is sleeping? You need to fill me in on what happened today.”  
Joey turned to the other boys. “I didn’t have the chance to tell Seto about everything that happened, but he knows Yugi was acting strange today.”

The others nodded and the rest of the drive to the mansion was filled with silence. Bakura carried Yugi all the way up to the room Kaiba had assigned him with Mokuba following close behind. The white haired boy made sure Yugi was comfortable before leaving him with Mokuba who wanted to stay with Yugi. Bakura made his way to the living room where the rest of the gang was. He sat by his boyfriend and placed an arm around the younger boy listening to Joey explaining to Kaiba what happened during lunchtime. Then, Malik and Ryou told them about Yami waiting for Yugi at Yugi’s locker. 

An uneasy silence filled the room. Everyone was thinking the same thing: Was Yugi in love with someone else, and if so, who was this person? The way Yugi had said it made them think he definitely had someone in mind. Yugi also seemed to think this person cared for him. Was that why he was so happy? Could it be that their plan backfired and instead of bringing Yugi and Yami closer, they had succeeded into creating more distance between the two?

“What are we going to do?” Malik was the first to break the silence.

“I think we messed up.” Marik added, pulling Malik close to him. 

Kaiba narrowed his eyes. “Messed up? Yugi is happy. Maybe he realized Sennen isn’t for him. Good riddance.”

Joey nudged his boyfriend in the ribs. “How can you say that? They are perfect for each other.” Kaiba groaned. “Also, we have greater problems.” The blond sighed, feeling so tired.

“What’s the problem, puppy?” Seto asked, his hand carefully rubbing his boyfriend’s shoulder to help him relax. 

Joey didn’t speak. He just closed his eyes letting his boyfriend ease up the built up tension in his body.

“I think what Marik and Joey are worried about is…” Ryou started carefully, “what if Yugi…what if Yugi is in love with one of us?”

Bakura sighed. “Well, I doubt Ryou is one of the candidates, since his flirting was really subtle, but Malik, Marik, and even you, Kaiba, were more direct.”

“Yugi would never try to steal someone’s boyfriend.” Tristan protested, his eyes bulging in shock hearing what Bakura was suggesting.

“He wouldn’t,” Bakura agreed. “But, if he felt he was invited in the relationship, don’t you think he would give it a try? He was miserable these past months. Maybe he wants to finally be loved and appreciated.”

They all stopped to think about it. It did make sense. Yugi would never break up someone else’s relationship but Malik and Marik actually had invited him to be in a relationship with them. Seto had been really close to him, almost flirting with him, while Joey didn’t seem to care. Was it that hard for Yugi to develop such feelings for his close friends? Maybe he wasn’t in love yet, but was considering his options.

“The thing is…Joey never flirted with him.” Marik turned towards Joey. “You and Yugi are like brothers from different mothers, so being in a relationship with you and Seto would simply be problematic.”

That was true. Joey had once thought that if there was a person he would trust to make Seto happy if he didn’t exist, it would be Yugi, because he knew his boyfriend actually respected and cared for the teen. However, he was in the picture and there was no way Yugi had such feelings for Seto. No matter how much Seto had teased Yugi in the past few days, he wouldn’t be the one Yugi was falling for since Yugi saw him and Joey as family.

“That leaves me and Marik.” Malik casually said the obvious.

“Wait a minute.” Tristan intervened. “We don’t even know if Yugi is in love with someone else. We are just making crazy assumptions. It’s possible that Yugi simply decided he doesn’t want to be sad anymore and hopes to find someone who will truly love him. Maybe being around all of us, as well as being on the receiving end of all this flirting, made him feel like he wants to try to love again.”

“What about Sennen?” Kaiba couldn’t believe Yugi suddenly woke up this morning and decided to forget all about Yami. “Just yesterday Yugi was trembling at the sight of him. Yes, he may have been able to slowly move on, but I don’t think Yugi is the type of person that would fall for someone else in a day. Even if it is one of us, don’t you think it would take him longer to think about it and come to a decision? Don’t you think he was acting very strange today? I don’t think Yugi would easily decide to be not only with one guy but two.” 

Joey nodded in agreement and Tristan soon followed his example. Bakura seemed skeptical. Ryou leaned on him feeling a bit tired but kept his thoughts for himself.  
“What else could it be?” Malik asked, his mind feeling fried from all the thinking. 

“Well, maybe he is just messing with you since you decided not to include him to this mighty scheme of yours.” a voice came to answer Malik’s question.

Everyone turned towards the direction of the voice only to see Yugi leaning on the door of the living room with an amused Mokuba by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t tell you how much I laughed when I wrote the part where Yugi runs in Seto’s arms as well as Yami and Seto’s reactions to this action. Unfortunately, Yami didn’t really get the chance to confess his feelings, but really did he expect it to be that easy?


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I quite often say it elsewhere, but let me write it here too. I want to thank SkyKingHaruka and DemonLionka for all the support they give me :)

Chapter 9:

School had been quite boring for Mokuba. His best friend, Yuki, was sick so he had no one to spend time with. He was friendly towards the other kids at school, but he hadn’t formed any kind of connection with any of them. It wasn’t for lack of trying, but most people were wary of his brother’s wealth and reputation, so they often chose not to play with the boy. There were also the ones who were encouraged by their parents to play with him because of his wealth, but those were the ones Mokuba could easily recognize and reject. He wanted people to like him for him, not his brother’s money. Yuki was nothing like that but the girl’s health was a delicate matter and it often kept her out of school. Mokuba made a mental note to call and check on her later in the evening. 

Mokuba couldn’t wait for the school day to be over in order to spend more time with Yugi. His brother had promised to bring the other boy back home. Seto had been helping the gang with their plan for the past two days. He was always coming home early and bringing Yugi with him. Mokuba loved having his brother around. Now he had both Seto and Yugi at the same time. Mokuba was dead set on asking the two boys to play with him as soon as they were home.

Mokuba had plenty of time to go home to change clothes and choose a board game for them to play since his school dismissed its students an hour before high school. He liked video games but once in a while he enjoyed playing board games too; besides they were always more fun when there were more than two players. Mokuba then asked their personal chef to prepare some snacks for them—he made sure there was enough food to satisfy Joey’s hunger just in case the blonde decided to join Seto and Yugi. When he saw the limo driving towards the mansion’s entrance, Mokuba ran to the door. His excitement was replaced with worry when he saw Bakura exiting the black car carrying Yugi in his arms as if he were a little child.

“Seto, what’s wrong with Yugi?” Mokuba’s voice was full of anxiety as he pulled his brother’s sleeve to get his attention.

Bakura softly lowered his arms a bit for Mokuba to look better at Yugi. “He’s just tired, kid. He fell asleep on us and we didn’t want to wake him up. Don’t worry.”

Mokuba nodded but followed the white haired boy upstairs to Yugi’s bedroom. The black haired boy used to be scared of the white haired boy with the eye scar but he knew Bakura would never hurt him. He was always protective of Yugi, even if he teased the young boy a lot, which was enough assurance for Mokuba. When Bakura left the room, Mokuba opted to stay behind with Yugi. He stayed for a moment looking at the older boy’s sleeping face and then kicked his shoes off and got in bed too. He carefully moved closer to the sleeping boy and snuggled close to him. He knew Yugi wouldn’t mind. The older boy was more than a friend to Mokuba. He was another brother to him. Mokuba knew that no one would ever be able to replace Seto in his heart but he had enough love for another brother. He actually had plenty of love to give, but most of all he needed to be loved in return.

His brother loved him more than anything but having to run a company took most of his time. Seto would never neglect his brother but he also didn’t always have much time for the young boy. His authority was constantly challenged because of his young age, therefore the older boy had to spend several hours a day working on his new projects to prove to the council, and the world, that he deserved the position he held. Mokuba knew that once Seto had accomplished that feat he would have more time for him.  
“Yugi.” Mokuba whispered the boy’s name, holding onto him a little more.

Seto was a workaholic. After the death of their stepfather, he had thrown himself to work with such a vigor that he would forget to eat and sleep. Sometimes he would forget he had plans with his brother. That was two years ago. Mokuba had stopped trying to get his brother to relax. To be honest, he felt like a burden. Seto would buy him expensive gifts and had the maids keep him company, but all Mokuba wanted was his brother. When the bullies teased him at school about not having a family he retaliated, but it didn’t change the fact that the comments had hurt him. One day his pain blinded him to the point of standing up to the bullies with fists instead of words. 

The bullies were twice his height. They were junior high school students that would jump the fence just to torture Mokuba. The black haired boy had managed to slip away from the car and driver that was supposed to pick him up, and instead followed the boys to an alley. He just wanted to make them stop saying his brother didn’t care for him, but instead he managed to make things worse. They had him cornered. They stole his wallet. They were about to strip him of his clothes and make him walk back to the car in his boxers when Yugi passed by and noticed them. Even though Yugi recognized the bullies—they’d bullied him when he was younger—he stood up to them using his body to protect Mokuba, which earned him a black eye and several bruises. They would have probably hurt the boy even more, if they hadn’t heard Mokuba’s bodyguard approaching. Yugi didn’t stop protecting Mokuba until the bodyguard was right in front of them. 

Mokuba begged Yugi to let the family’s personal doctor check him and Yugi had agreed seeing the distress in the boy’s eyes. The younger boy then started crying while the tri-colored teen held him carefully, hiding his pain in order to comfort the kid. Seto came to the mansion only minutes after the two boys had arrived. He fussed over Mokuba, scolding him for his recklessness before taking notice of the injured boy. Apparently Mokuba’s bodyguard had informed him that his brother had been found safe and sound. Mokuba had explained to his brother exactly what had happened and how Yugi had been hurt while protecting him.

That was the day Mokuba started talking to Yugi. Even though they weren’t even in the same school, Mokuba had exchanged phone numbers with Yugi and had called him every other day to check on him. He was a bit embarrassed at first but he had liked the way the older boy had held him and had whispered comforting words after the incident. Mokuba started calling Yugi more often whenever he felt lonely due to Seto’s constant absence. One day Yugi had even taken him out for a milkshake after school, with Mokuba’s bodyguard following them of course. After Mokuba’s request he had visited the mansion and the two boys had spent hours playing together. 

Seto wasn’t sure what to make of their odd friendship but he was grateful to the boy for defending his brother, so he had allowed the frequent visits. He had known Yugi from school but had never talked to the boy. Mokuba would often talk about Yugi when he and Seto were alone, praising the boy’s abilities as a gamer. That had sparked Seto’s curiosity but he was way too busy with work to spend time with his brother and the boy. Of course he hadn’t expected said boy appearing in his office one day to remind him of Mokuba’s birthday and how he was expected to attend the party. Seto was almost too shocked to be angry at the boy for talking to him that way. 

Nevertheless, Seto had gone to the party Yugi had organized for Mokuba. Yugi, with the help of Kaiba’s chef, had even baked a cake for Mokuba. The party was held in the company of four people, Seto, Yugi, Yuki and the birthday boy—who couldn’t be happier. Mokuba knew that it was Yugi who had talked to his brother about how lonely the kid felt because since then Seto was much more affectionate towards his little brother. As soon as Seto finished his most urgent projects, he arranged his schedule so that he would have more time with his brother. Yugi, of course, was always welcome to join them at the house. Except for the week that Seto was really mad at Yugi for winning against him in a duel. Seto was a bit of a sore loser, and he could never win against Yugi.

“Hey, Moku.” Yugi’s sleepy voice came from above the black haired boy. A warm arm wrapped itself around the boy. “Everything okay?”

“Yes.” Mokuba’s response was filled with the cheerfulness of the boy. “I was just thinking how lucky Seto and I are to have you.”

A soft blush made its way on the other boy’s cheeks. “I feel the same about the both of you, Mokuba.” A moment of comfortable silence passed between the boys, before Yugi let his arm fall to the side. “Why don’t we go to find the rest of the gang? I believe it is time to put an end to this game and start a new one.” Confused child eyes looked at his amethyst ones. “I know about the plan, Moku. I may or may not have messed with my friends a bit too, but now it’s time for the final act.” a playful smirk that Mokuba had seen on Yugi’s face only during a challenging game appeared. 

Mokuba stood up and waited for Yugi to do the same. He knew that Yugi was the King of Games. He was not surprised the boy had discovered their plan. However, he was really curious about what Yugi had done. Excited, he followed Yugi downstairs knowing everyone was in the living room. The door was open. Mokuba was about to burst in the room to announce that Yugi was up, but Yugi pulled him back and shook his head. Motioning with his head, the older boy made him understand he wished to hear what the others were talking about. The two boys stood by the open door and listened. 

“Wait a minute.” Tristan intervened. “We don’t even know if Yugi is in love with someone else. We are just making crazy assumptions. It’s possible that Yugi simply decided he doesn’t want to be sad anymore and hopes to find someone who will truly love him. Maybe being around all of us, as well as being on the receiving end of all this flirting, made him feel like he wants to try to love again.”

Mokuba stole a glance towards Yugi. The amethyst orbs were shined with mirth. It was obvious the boy was pleased by whatever he had done.

“What about Sennen?” It was Seto that had asked the question. Mokuba knew how much Seto disliked Yami because of what he had done to Yugi. “Just yesterday Yugi was trembling at the sight of him. Yes, he may have been able to slowly move on, but I don’t think Yugi is the type of person that would fall for someone else in a day. Even if it is one of us, don’t you think it would take him longer to think about it and come to a decision? Don’t you think he was acting very strange today? I don’t think Yugi would easily decide to be not only with one guy but two.”

Mokuba’s eyes opened widely hearing his brother’s words. Yugi didn’t like Yami anymore? Was that possible? Was Yugi with someone else? Seto had said two guys. Mokuba couldn’t believe that. Looking at Yugi with wide eyes, he relaxed a bit hearing the boy silently chuckling. Relief filled the boy as realization came to him. Yugi had said he had messed with his friends a bit. Had the King of Games turned the scheme into a little game? Amused deep blue eyes met entertained amethyst gems. Oh, Yugi had everyone fooled. Beneath all the innocence hid a mischievous person ready to play when challenged. 

“What else could it be?” Malik’s voice came out tired, as if the riddle was too hard for him.

Taking the question as his cue to reveal himself, Yugi walked closer to the door, leaning casually on it. “Well, maybe he is just messing with you since you decided not to include him in this mighty scheme of yours.”

Mokuba couldn’t help but chuckle seeing the gang’s stunned expressions. Seven pair of eyes were focused on the tricolor haired boy whose innocence had managed to fool them all. The black haired boy could see that Yugi was as amused as he was. He placed his hand in Yugi’s and walked towards the other boys, taking a seat on a couple of pillows, with Yugi following his example. Mokuba couldn’t help but think that Yugi’s boldness reminded him a bit of Yami.

Mokuba wasn’t as close to Yami as he was to Yugi or Joey, but he liked the other boy. Yami would often be at the Kame Game Shop or in Yugi’s room when Mokuba would visit. There was a time that Yami had even joined Yugi while visiting Mokuba’s house, much to Seto’s annoyance. Yugi would often talk to Mokuba about his friends, especially Yami, so the younger boy felt as if he knew them already. It was only after the surprise birthday party that Mokuba asked to meet them. Seto would join them sometimes under the pretense of making sure his brother’s acquaintances would keep him safe and sound. Mokuba was more than happy being in the gang’s presence, even though he didn’t really like Tea. His only concern was Seto. He didn’t seem to get along with anyone but Yugi. Even with Yugi, he liked to pretend that the boy wasn’t important to him.

The worst thing was that it was a common thing for fights between Seto and Joey or Yami to erupt out of nowhere. Joey seemed to think his brother was nothing but a workaholic moneybag and was there to control Mokuba and degrade Yugi. Yami just plainly didn’t like Kaiba. Seto often made dog jokes about Joey, demeaning him while he disliked Yami with a vengeance. Mokuba couldn’t understand why Seto would behave like that. Of course the truth about Joey and Seto’s mutual attraction had been revealed in the end, but it had taken them two years to finally admit their feelings to each other. 

“Would you be so kind, oh mighty Yugi, to explain to us what you mean?” Malik asked, an eyebrow raised, his lips caught between a smile and a scowl. 

“Nope.” Yugi’s round lips shaped the word making sure its sound was distinctive. “Well,” he added as if he was reconsidering, “at least not until I tell you something very important first.” A moment of hesitation. “I decided I want to try something new.” His eyes came to rest on the floor. “I’m just not sure how you will react to that.”

Mokuba had his eyes on Yugi. He knew the others did too. He knew the gang was concerned. However, he was the one sitting by the boy, therefore he was the only one who knew why Yugi was looking down.

“Yugi, we will never think badly of you.” Ryou said, his eyes soft and supportive. How could his friend think such a thing? 

“What is that you want to try, Yug?” Joey asked, encouraging his friend to speak. 

Yugi bit his lower lip and stayed silent. As his friends waited for him to tell them his fear and secret, Yugi started laughing. “Well, I guess I wanted to try pranking you for once.” His laughter of amusement filled the room and soon Mokuba, who had known Yugi’s eyes were on the floor because they would betray his mirth, mimicked him. 

“You, little rascal!” Marik exclaimed, and was followed by a growl emitted by Kaiba’s lips. Bakura simply smirked. “Why are you smirking, damn you? He tricked us!”

Bakura and Malik started laughing. “Well, it was a good prank. His first one, too. Come on, guys. Admit it!” 

“You’re right!” Joey’s eyes instantly lit. “Yug! You just tricked all of us!”

Everyone but Seto seemed to be amazed by the boy’s skills. Mokuba, however, could see that after the initial shock, his brother’s mind had come to the conclusion that it should have been expected from the King of Games. After all, it was Seto who had proposed to let Yugi in on the plan, only to have everyone remind him how bad of an actor Yugi was. It was Seto who thought that a gamer of Yugi’s caliber would have some kind of poker face hidden inside him. 

Yugi’s amethyst eyes sparkled with happiness as his friends joked around him. He enjoyed seeing them all together in such a good mood. The only thing that made him sad was that Yami wasn’t there to share the moment with him. However, if his friends were right about Yami’s feelings and if his plan worked, he would soon be there to share similar moments with him and his friends. Their lives would go back to how things were. Well, if things went well, Yugi’s life would actually improve.

“Why don’t you tell us how you got us, Yugi?” Malik asked, his curiosity getting the best of him. 

The others nodded wanting to know as well. “Well, it’s not much of a story. I was walking around thinking I was in a parallel universe for a while, but I put together what happened. Actually Joey, you’re the one that helped me the most.” Yugi laughed softly and told his friends everything he had discovered during the day about Yami and Tea as well as how he had heard Joey talking on the phone with Seto. “My suspicion from the start was that you were playing a prank on me, even though I couldn’t understand how you managed to drag Seto and Ryou into it.” Yugi confessed. “But, things got so much clearer today. Of course I am thankful to all of you for everything you did, but I couldn’t let you get away for making me feel so disoriented and confused without adding a bit of my own part.”

“I think we deserved that.” Ryou said, a soft smile on his face. 

Yugi smiled. “Now, why don’t you tell me everything about this scheme of yours, and then maybe I can help you take it to the next level?” he suggested.  
Marik smirked. “Where were you hiding all this mischief?” 

“Years and years of being around you and Bakura couldn’t leave me unaffected, right?” Yugi answered, not missing a beat.

Everyone laughed and started explaining what they had done the last days. Yugi couldn’t help but think everything sounded so much more fun now that he knew everything. He compared their thoughts about Tea and Yami’s reactions with his own, trying to understand Yami. His heart, full of memories of his best friend and hope for his secret love, told him Yami was in love with him. However, his mind asked him to tread carefully. Yami had already been caught in his friends’ trap. Now it was time for him to lay his own.  
“I gather you weren’t sure of how to proceed, especially with the weekend interfering, right?” Yugi asked thoughtfully. He had some ideas of his own, but he would need his friends’ cooperation. “If you are willing to help me, I may have a plan. But, it may be a bit more…forward than yours.” Yugi’s cheeks flushed as he said the last words. He had everyone’s attention. “Seto, do you think we could borrow your mansion for the weekend?”

“If it’s to mess with Sennen one more time, of course.” Kaiba grinned, even though inwardly he cringed wondering what Yugi had in mind.

Yugi smiled, his eyes bright with the fervor of the game. He had to lay down his strategy and made sure he would follow through with it. With this in mind, he made himself more comfortable on the pillows, and began explaining to his friends what he wanted from them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe Mokuba is quite adorable when he wants to be. I am really into this bond among Seto, Yugi, and Mokuba, so I wanted to work on it and show you why Mokuba likes Yugi so much and why Seto is so protective of him. Of course, now the plan is out in the open as well as Yugi’s game, so wait until chapter 10 to see what the gang and Yugi have prepared for Yami. As always, I would love to hear your thoughts about the chapter, so feel free to PM me or leave a review.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The songs used are Low by Flow Rida and Step Up by Darin

Chapter 10:

Music poured through the open entrance as two boys walked inside the enormous mansion. A man stood by the entrance ready to take their coats. The white haired boy with the scar beneath his right eye threw the coat carelessly not waiting to see if the man would catch it. The second guest, a handsome boy with tri-colored hair and spellbinding crimson eyes, sighed at the poor manners of his friend and proceeded to carefully place his jacket in the man’s hands. He noted that the man didn’t seem to be displeased by his friend’s tactics but rather expected them. Shrugging it off, he followed his friend deeper into the mansion and towards the source of the music.

Yami felt extremely uncomfortable being in what he could only think of as a dragon’s lair. Seto Kaiba had always been his rival. They antagonized each other in sports, games, even their school grades. Neither liked being bested by the other. Usually their contests would result in a draw and eventually, with Kaiba dropping school, they had stopped, only for their rivalry to be turned into a contest for Yugi’s heart. It was a contest with more contestants than him and Kaiba, one that Yami didn’t know if he even had a chance to win.  
The music got louder as Bakura walked in a room big enough to comfortably sit two dozen people. There were dark blue couches and big pillows lying around, and a coffee table filled with drinks and snacks. An expensive fully equipped stereo system with a console placed across the door, as well as half a dozen of speakers strategically placed around the room, were responsible for the upbeat music. The lights were half turned down creating the right atmosphere for a party. 

“Kaiba sure knows how to throw a party.” he muttered, his eyes focused on the unknown man behind the console, talking to Mokuba. “He even has a DJ.”

His eyes turned to scan the room once again. He saw Bakura stopping next to Marik for a moment to exchange a few words before making his way towards the coffee table and the drinks. Marik eyed Yami and nodded towards his direction, acknowledging him, but didn’t come to greet him. His boyfriend, Malik, was by his side, talking to him while gesturing wildly. Malik seemed stressed out. Yami absentmindedly wondered if he should force his company on them or join Bakura. He was half ready to walk towards the white haired boy when Mokuba turned around and walked towards him.

“Good evening, Yami. It’s good to see you.” the kid greeted him politely.

“It’s good to see you, too, Mokuba. It’s been a while.” Yami replied in the same tone. He hadn’t seen the young boy since he had started dating Tea. “Thank you for having me over.”

Mokuba smiled. “Of course. I only wish we could have known about this party a bit earlier.” The boy ran a hand through his long black hair. “The final decision for it was just made yesterday. I’m surprised my brother came through with it. He prefers careful planning to spontaneous actions.” A soft chuckle escaped the boy’s lips. “Then again, he couldn’t not throw the party.”

Yami raised an eyebrow in question but Mokuba dismissed it with another smile. The younger boy’s eyes lit up with joy taking in the three forms that approached them. Yami turned and faced Joey, Serenity, and Tristan. The blonde gave Yami a calculating look while the brown haired boy and girl smiled at him. Serenity’s smile was full of warmth while Tristan’s was more reserved. Yami could easily understand that the gang had not forgotten how he had let the rumors affect him.

“Good evening, Yami.” Serenity’s soft voice broke the ice. “I didn’t know you’d be here tonight.” Her tone was not judgmental but clearly showed her surprise. 

“Where’s Tea?” Joey asked, his own tone almost bordering to rude. “You two have been inseparable these past months. It surprises me that she allowed you to come here.”

Yami didn’t like the implication he was on Tea’s leash. It wasn’t like that. “Tea and I broke up. How comes you’re here? I thought you didn’t like Kaiba.”

Joey shrugged. “Of course, I don’t. I was invited by Yugi, same as Serenity and Tristan.” 

Yami looked surprised by that and wanted to ask why Yugi had invited so many people. When Bakura told Yami there was a party happening, the white haired boy hadn’t mentioned where the party was at. Yami simply wanted to go out so he agreed to go with him. When they reached the Kaiba mansion, Yami had been angry at first. Then Bakura mentioned Yugi had asked the white haired boy to come and he had decided to bring a friend. Yami didn’t want to be at Kaiba’s party but it was the perfect chance to talk to Yugi.  
Yugi… The young boy was the only person on Yami’s mind. Now that he’d finally realized his feelings for the beautiful creature, he couldn’t help but feel like an idiot for allowing his father’s words and his own insecurities to hurt his best friend and possibly ruin any chances he had to be with him. After Yugi had left with Kaiba, Yami had stayed in the schoolyard, in the exact same spot, as if he was glued to the place. His mind couldn’t comprehend what he had witnessed.

It wasn’t just how Yugi had dismissed him, running to Kaiba as if his company was his heart’s delight, but also how he had attached himself to the older boy with such ease and happiness that it broke Yami’s heart. Then it was Kaiba’s protectiveness of Yugi. Kaiba had actually thought of Yami as a threat and with a tenderness Yami didn’t think the boy possessed, had made sure Yugi was protected. Of course, Yami wasn’t a threat to Yugi, but it distressed him that Kaiba thought he was.

“So, Tea finally let you go.” Tristan’s voice brought him back to reality. 

“No. We both came to a mutual understanding that we like other people and separated as friends.” The tri-color haired voice was almost defensive, even though that was the truth.  
“Well, that’s not how her friends tell the story.” a smooth husky voice made everyone turn. 

Duke Devlin moved closer to the group with a beautiful blonde girl by his side. Duke was in Yami’s class but he and the boy rarely, if ever, talked. However, he knew that Duke was a good friend of Tristan and one of Kaiba Corp’s business partners. Yami turned his eyes to Duke's companion and smiled remembering her name. She was Mai Valentine, Yugi’s cousin. He recalled Yugi telling him that Mai had an acting and modeling career, but was also an excellent dancer. Mai had the same blond hair hue as Yugi’s bangs and her eyes were a similar shade to Yugi’s amethyst ones but held none of their innocence. Mai was a confident and energetic young woman with a wicked sense of humor and a naughty side. Judging by the way Duke had his arm around her waist, Yami came to the conclusion the boy was Mai’s new boyfriend. 

“What do you mean?” Yami asked, remembering what Duke said.

“Well, I heard from some of my customers—a group of gossiping giggling girls—that Tea finally broke up with you after days of trying to. The girls seemed to think she was really brave seeing on how you were an abusive boyfriend.” Duke’s tone was casual as if he talked about the weather rather than a rumor that could destroy Yami’s reputation.

“A what?!” Yami almost screamed. What the hell did these girls talk about? He had never abused Tea. 

“Apparently you were possessive and didn’t let Tea be with her friends. The girls seemed really disappointed and angry you turned out to be this kind of guy.” Duke continued casually. “I think one of them said something about you threatening to hurt her if she’d even think of breaking up with you.”

Yami’s mouth was wide open from shock. He couldn’t understand how anyone would even suggest he was an abusive boyfriend. He had been nothing but a perfect gentleman while being with Tea. Why would these girls go around spreading such lies?

“I’ve told you the innocent façade wouldn’t last forever.” Bakura hissed. Crimson eyes met dark brown ones. “Don’t give me that look, Yami. You must know that she’s behind this story.”

Yami shook his head, denying it. Why would Tea do such a thing? 

“I am here for the party. Not for gossips and sour faces.” Mai broke her silence. Her violet eyes were full of mischief as they were directed towards Mokuba. “Where are the hosts of this party? I want to dance.”

A smiling Ryou, accompanied by Malik and Marik, came towards them then. The younger white haired boy had just come in the room and nodded towards Mokuba. The younger Kaiba cleared his throat and grabbed a microphone. As if that was his cue, the DJ lowered the volume of the music. Mokuba made sure his microphone was on and started talking.  
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our party. I know it was a bit of a surprise throwing a party just like that but we just wanted to have fun and having a party seems like the perfect thing to do. Now, I know you all are ready to dance and hit the snacks,” the black haired boy threw an amusing glance towards the blond male, “but first of all let’s have the hosts, a.k.a the boy who thought of the party and invited you all and the man who paid for the party, join us. Give it up for Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba!”

Laughter and clapping followed Mokuba’s theatric speech as Yugi and Kaiba walked in the room. The first thing Yami noticed was how striking Yugi was. He wore a tight dark purple t-shirt and a scarlet red sleeveless vest. A pair of tight ripped jeans hugged his body as if they were a second skin on the boy, while a black belt with Horus’ sign completed the outfit. Yami couldn’t help but think Yugi perfectly complemented him in every way. He had come to the party wearing a crimson red t-shirt with the Eye of Horus on it, a dark purple vest, a pair of leather pants, and a belt that had the symbol of a pyramid on it.

“Ra, he looks amazing.” his gasp was lost to everyone as cheers erupted in the room seeing the two boys walking towards them. 

It was only then that Yami noticed how close Yugi and Kaiba were and how Yugi’s hand was resting on top of Kaiba’s in a regal gesture of union. Yami stiffened seeing how relaxed Kaiba looked with Yugi by his side, until his icy blue eyes rested upon him and a smirk appeared on the boy’s lips. Immediately Yami felt the feeling of defeat that had embraced him be lifted from his shoulders and replaced by fury. He wouldn’t give up. He had to tell Yugi of his feelings even if they were not returned, or else he would have to live with a ‘what if’ for the rest of his life. 

“I’m so glad you could all make it!” an overly excited Yugi exclaimed taking in the sight of his friends. “The entrance was a bit too formal but let’s enjoy ourselves tonight!”

Yugi’s amethyst eyes stayed on Yami for a second before they moved to the next person, but Yami felt his gaze was a soft caress on him, as if the boy was actually pleased he was there. This gave him hope, however with everyone around he didn’t dare to talk to the boy. He would have to wait until he had a chance to remove him from the others’ company.  
“Quite a regal entrance, Yugi.” Malik teased his friend, carefully moving him away from Kaiba. The older boy noticed and raised an eyebrow but Malik chose to ignore him. 

“Seto and you looked like a king with his queen.” Mokuba commented with too much innocence to be real. Yami was sure the boy knew what he was talking about. 

“I’m no queen!” Yugi pouted, and turned to Kaiba, expecting the older boy’s help.

“I’m not the king of the party. It was Yugi’s idea, I merely paid for all of it.” A grin appeared on Kaiba’s face. “However, seeing the fascination you have with Egypt and how we have two people here of Egyptian origins,” Kaiba continued, making sure not to take into consideration Yami’s ancestors were from Egypt too, “I’d say that makes you the Pharaoh.”  
Bakura snickered while Ryou nodded in agreement. Serenity and Joey cheered while Malik pulled Yugi closer to him and Marik. Yugi momentarily flushed before he came back to Kaiba with a beat. 

“If I’m the Pharaoh, what does that make you?” 

Kaiba thought of it for a moment before he answered, “What about your High Priest?”

“High Priest Seto” Yugi tried it and decided he liked it. “I like it. But, I still don’t think I’m Pharaoh material.”

Yugi wanted to add that if there was one person in the room who could be a Pharaoh without a thought that was Yami, but before he could even finish his thought said could-be-a-Pharaoh added his opinion on the matter. “I think you’d be a good and fair Pharaoh, Yugi, or should I call you Heba, since that is the equivalent of your name in Egyptian?” 

There could be no better reward to Yami for speaking out these words than Yugi’s blush and soft smile. The younger boy could rule a whole empire if given the chance, Yami was sure of that. He would be fair and temperate towards his subjects, and, with the help of a strong council like the gang was, he would be able to inflict punishment when punishment was needed. His cherubic face and the amethyst gems would steal any prince or princess’s heart and gain him hundreds of suitors. Yami could feel his jealousy rising from thinking of this scenario. Was it that different than what he had already experienced? Yugi wasn’t a Pharaoh, but he was popular in his school. The girls, and some boys too, would swoon at how cute he was, and a line of suitors already fought for him. 

Yugi offered him another smile. The young boy was happy to see his former best friend acting so warmly towards him. If everything went well that night, maybe he would have his best friend back. Maybe he would gain even more. He just had to go with the plan and hope for the best. It was a gamble but Yugi needed to know the extent of Yami’s feelings. He didn’t really want to punish Yami but he agreed with Seto that he couldn’t just walk in the other boy’s arms without seeing him work for it. Yami had hurt him deeply by not even giving him a chance to explain himself. 

“Bored, bored, bored.” Mai complained with a fake yawn. “I came here for the beat, guys. Well, that and to see my cute cousin.” she grinned and pulled Yugi closer to her, stroking his arm as if he were a kitten. Marik and Malik sent her a glare. “My darling, you have everyone wrapped around your little finger. Especially the mighty Kaiba.” Kaiba gave her a scorching look, but Mai didn’t even flinch. “Are you going to perform tonight? I want to see you.” 

Yami’s eyebrow raised following Mai’s words. Perform? What did she mean?

“I bet you want to see if all those lessons you gave me paid off” Yugi shot back but the look in his eyes told Yami that Yugi was challenged and wouldn’t back down. A soft sigh escaped the young boy’s lips. “Alright then. I’ll do it.”

Yugi moved towards the DJ with determination and whispered something to him. Immediately the beat of a song filled the living room and everyone moved to the side to have the best view of what Yugi would do. It was Mai who gave Yami the title of the American song. Apparently it was called “Low”. Yami thought he had heard it in a movie but that was the last coherent thought he had before the lights went low again and Yami’s eyes widened seeing Yugi removing his vest and throwing it to Mai.

The young boy closed his eyes, shutting everything out but the music. His foot tapped on the floor following the rhythm. As soon as the singer started singing, he was off. His slender arms expanded and returned to his sides creating waves, his legs carried him through the steps, and his hips followed the music never missing the beat. Yami’s jaw fell when he saw Yugi slowly lowering himself in a skillful way every time the singer said the word ‘low’. The older boy was fairly sure Yugi’s hips were mere millimeters away from the floor each time he tried that move. It was hip-hop for sure, but Yami, even though his dancing knowledge was limited, was sure there was more there. The way Yugi moved his body almost reminded him of a rougher version of belly dancing. It wasn’t hard to imagine the singer sang for Yugi. His boots didn’t have any fur, but he was a vision to behold.  
When had Yugi learned to dance that way? Yami would never imagine even in his wildest dreams his angel could dance like that. He knew of course Yugi liked all kinds of music aside of techno music but Yami never imagined the younger boy dancing with such heated passion would make his body burn in longing. His crimson eyes shone with desire and love. He thought he knew everything about Yugi, but the little one kept surprising him. Yami couldn’t understand how he could be so stupid and not understand how deeply in love he was with his best friend. Yugi was the only person he wanted. He was the only person he had ever desired.

His kisses with Tea had been pleasant, sure. However, they were always lacking the passion Yami wanted to feel. He never felt like he wanted to try more than those kisses with her. Seeing his angel dancing, his body moving so in sync with the music, Yami couldn’t help but think of all the possibilities opening in front of him. If only he could get a chance to tell Yugi how he felt about him. This thought brought him back to reality as the song slowly drifted towards the end, that he wasn’t the only one looking at the dancing boy.  
Sparkly crimson eyes took in the people by his side. Yami focused on his rivals dismissing everyone else. Kaiba’s eyes were on Yugi but the dim light didn’t allow his expression to give much. However, Yami could tell that the other boy hadn’t missed a single movement of the dance. Yami’s eyes travelled towards Ryou who looked at Yugi in amazement, and immediately dismissed him as a potential rival. When he turned to find Marik and Malik though, he discovered with a start that the older Egyptian was talking to the DJ while the younger one had started moving towards the dancing boy. 

“What the hell…” Yami’s mouth moved to shape the words that were caught in his throat as he took in the scene in front of him.

Suddenly the song Yugi was dancing to was replaced by another. Yugi slowly stopped dancing, his eyes following the movements of another. Malik had moved close to him, close enough to require Yugi’s attention, but not enough to invade his private space. The young Egyptian’s body shook softly following the beat of the new song, his eyes fixed on Yugi. Yami dared to remove his eyes from Malik long enough to see Marik leaning on a wall close to the console looking at the two boys. When Yami turned his eyes back to Yugi, he was surprised to see the boy slowly mimicking his friend, catching on to the new song. 

As words joined the music, Malik slid on the floor, moving closer to Yugi but still far away for the dancing boy to be able to move away. Yami narrowed his eyes seeing Malik lip singing the song, his attention never wavering from his friend. The older tri-color haired boy felt the words hit him like bullets, as Malik made it clear he was out to get Yugi. Crimson eyes filled with fury hearing how Malik wanted to ‘show him they could become one, not two’, which turned into a full storm when Malik, following the lyrics, asked Yugi to move his body for him. 

Yugi gave in and moved his body as requested. His hips moved, his lips half parted, his hands beating the air. A gasp escaped those half parted lips when Malik stopped in front of him, facing him with a smirk. The two boys started dancing together, their bodies never touching, but always close enough to give the illusion of touch. Yugi’s body relaxed enough to perfectly follow Malik’s movements, and a smile appeared on his face. Sweat gathered on his forehead as his clothes stuck on his body. 

Yami bit his lip when Yugi slowly moved his hands on Malik’s sides, guiding him through the chorus. They carefully lowered and pulled up themselves as if they were one body. Malik even smirked when the singer asked if ‘they liked him and his shorty’. Then as Yugi let him go and moved his slender body slightly to the left and then to the right, Malik momentarily turned his attention to his boyfriend leaning on the wall, taking in the scene with eyes smoked by an emotion Yami couldn’t easily distinguish in that kind of light. Malik gave his boyfriend a come hither look before turning his attention back to an oblivious Yugi. 

Marik moved towards the two dancing boys like a predator after his prey. Before Yugi could register what happened, a new body was behind him, and he found himself dancing sandwiched between the two Egyptians, neither of the two really touching him. He shrugged and followed the lyrics, popping his body, clapping his hands above his head, and turning around before shaking his hips to the music. Marik’s hands guided him through the chorus like Yugi had guided Malik before and then spun him around carefully having him face Malik once again.

Yami growled as the music turned softer and sensual. Marik’s hands wrapped around Yugi’s waist, pulling the younger boy flat on his chest. Their hips moved together as Malik took in the glorious dance. Yugi’s eyes closed, his chest moved up and down as he gasped for breath. Marik moved with him, his eyes dangerous. Yami bit hard his lip tasting blood but he couldn’t take his eyes away from the sinful creature Yugi was. After feeling Yami’s eyes on him, Yugi opened his eyes and stared back at him. Yami swore he felt the fires of hell licking his skin. As Malik’s hands ran freely on Yugi’s sides, taking in the sight of his lover and friend dancing together, Yugi’s eyes were on Yami.  
As if caught in a spell, Yami found his legs carrying him all the way towards the dancing boys. A growl escaped his lips when Marik looked at him with a smirk. Yami pulled Yugi on him, placing his arms around the boy possessively. Yugi looked up at him with those big amethyst orbs of his, eyes full of warmth, wonderment, and hope? Blocking out everything else, Yami leaned down and kissed the boy’s gasping lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t kill me. I know it ends with a cliffhanger but it is the proper way to end such an intense chapter. Since it is the first time I write something like this, I would love to hear your opinion about everything. I was super excited writing this chapter; from Kaiba and Yugi joking about who is the Pharaoh and who is the High Priest to Yami calling Yugi Heba to the two dances that stole my breath. That’s why I would really really really appreciate hearing from you.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Sweat ran down his forehead, clothes already clung tightly on his slender figure, lips half parted, half-lidded eyes, Yugi danced seductively with Marik behind him. He had played along with his friends, even though the second dance wasn’t part of the original plan. He should have known better than to think Marik and Malik would go along with it without any mischief. They were supposed to be the ones flirting with Yugi after his dance, but Yugi didn’t have this type of flirting in mind. He had never danced with anyone but Tea—years ago she had shown him some dance moves in order for him to help her with her dancing lessons— and Mai, and even then it had never been this…intimate. 

Still, he didn’t shy away even though Malik gave him enough time to pull away. The young Egyptian came to him dancing, never invading his private space until Yugi started dancing with him. Yugi knew the song. After all Step Up was one of Mai’s favorite movies. Following the beat was easy for Yugi after all the lessons Mai had given him and all the practice he had done as a way to let out some of the heartache of the last months. Dancing was an outlet for him. While he danced, he could shut out the rest of the world and retreat into his own world. There, he was confident and happy. Yugi wanted to show this side of him to Yami. He had never told anyone he could dance but Mai’s lessons during the past few months had helped him feel more confident. His cousin seemed to believe he was a really good dancer and encouraged him to practice. She was the one who had mentioned during a lesson that his dancing could attract any person to him like bees to honey.

Yugi had decided it was his turn to show Yami what was right in front of him. The plan was for Yugi and Seto to appear together, for Yami to know Yugi was one of the two hosts of the party. That was Seto’s idea. Yugi’s idea was the dancing part as well as pretending to go along with Marik and Malik’s flirting and even let it slip that he had enjoyed his date with them, considering their proposition to be their boyfriend. Of course there was no real date, but Yami didn’t know it. The young tri-colored boy anticipated that if Yami was truly in love with him, he would use the party to confess his love for him. Obviously, his friends had other plans. Mokuba’s teasing about Seto and he looking like a king and his queen hadn’t been planned either. He couldn’t believe Seto thought he could be a Pharaoh. Yami had agreed with that too! He had even called him Heba. 

As Malik moved with him, Yugi admitted to himself that his friend could dance. He knew of course that Marik and him hit the club a couple of times per month during summer, even though they were both underage. However, he had never seen his friends dancing. Yugi may have had his plan, but he was ready to adapt to another seeing how Yami was looking at him and Malik. While dancing with his best friend, Yugi felt exhilarated. He could see Malik’s lips singing the lyrics to him as if he was the girl dancer, but he didn’t mind. He loved the song, he loved the dance. Adrenaline pumped into his veins as he followed the song until he felt another pair of arms around him when Malik withdrew.  
When he looked up, he faced Marik, just for a moment before he was spun around. When Marik’s hands came around his waist, he momentarily tensed, but he knew he could trust his friend. Malik seemed to take in every single movement of theirs as Marik and Yugi swung their hips together. Yugi felt his lungs burning with the need to breathe, a gasp escaped his lips and his eyes closed as he tried not to blush. Though, the nudging feeling that someone’s eyes were on him, taking in every single movement of his with great intensity, made him open them again only to be met with crimson eyes glowing with a myriad of emotions. Faced with those eyes, Yugi danced like he had never danced before, each movement an invitation to the owner of those magnetizing eyes he adored.

Absentmindedly, he felt Malik’s hands on him, but at that moment he wouldn’t have reacted even if someone had set him on fire. All he cared for was Yami; Yami who seemed to have come to a decision as he made his way to him, snatched him from Marik’s hold, and looked at him with those eyes Yugi couldn’t resist. His own eyes, amethyst orbs glowing under the dim lights, reflected his wonderment for this regal creature he used to call his friend, and hope that Yami wouldn’t back down. Before Yugi could think about anything else, a pair of lips covered his own, stealing his first kiss.

The kiss was gentler that he thought it would be. Yami’s lips, strangely tasting like blood and honey, caressed his own so softly as if they were rose petals. Before Yugi could wonder if his imagination and adrenalized mind were playing games to him, the sensation was lost. Yugi opened his eyes which he had closed when he felt Yami’s lips on him, but Yami wasn’t done with him. Yugi barely had a second to take a breath before Yami’s lips were back on his to have a second taste.

Yami couldn’t help himself. Yugi tasted like strawberries and cream. When his little one didn’t pull back, Yami pulled the younger boy closer and stole a second kiss from his rosy lips. This second kiss was more passionate, conveying all his feelings for the boy who had completely captivated him. If Yami wasn’t one hundred percent sure for his feelings for Yugi by the time he walked in the mansion, now he knew that he would be damned if he would allow another to have his little one. He pushed his lips on Yugi’s, molding the younger boy’s lips to match his, his tongue teasing the tender nerves. When Yugi gasped, feeling Yami’s teasing tongue, Yami took advantage of it to taste the boy’s hot mouth. He felt more than heard Yugi’s muffled moan and he felt proud he was the one who had caused it.

All too soon the two boys had to pull back for breath. Yugi’s eyes were dazed while Yami was breathing hard. Lost in their own little world, they were startled when the room erupted in cheers and applauses. It was only then that Yugi remembered where he was. His cheeks turned red as he tried to hide behind Yami. Yami on his part took everything in with a mixture of happiness, pride, and confusion. He had ignored the crowd when he decided to kiss Yugi. During the kiss, all these people meant nothing to him. When the kiss was broken, it took him some time to remember where he was but as soon as the cheers started, he felt both happiness and pride for claiming the younger boy as well as confusion about the younger boy’s friends’ reaction. He wasn’t sure where Yugi stood among that chaos but the way he was around Kaiba had shown him they were way too close to be just friends. After all, Kaiba didn’t seem to do friends.

Besides, Yugi’s dance with Malik and Marik was a far cry from innocent. Well, Malik and Marik’s intentions were crystal clear. They wanted to claim the beautiful angel with the amethyst eyes. Did Yugi want to be claimed by them? Why didn’t Kaiba stop the dance? Yami was so confused that he barely missed Yugi hiding behind him. Not having seen the younger boy’s blush and noticing that Kaiba wasn’t part of the cheering group, Yami came to the conclusion Yugi was afraid of Kaiba’s reaction to the kiss. 

Knowing it was time for him to come clean and find out if Yugi felt the same way for him, Yami turned around and faced the younger boy. Cupping the boy’s soft cheek, Yami took a breath. “Yugi, it may come as a surprise to you after these past months, but I need to tell you something.” Another breath. Yugi’s amethyst eyes were on him as if he was the center of the universe. “I wanted to tell you yesterday at school too. I…” He felt encouraged by those beautiful eyes. “I love you, Yugi. I was so stupid not understanding that I’ve always loved you. I know I’m probably too late and I hope whoever has your heart will make you happy, but I couldn’t not tell you. I couldn’t go on with my life knowing you’re the most important person in my life and not even having tried to be with you.”

An impossibly wide and bright smile bloomed on Yugi’s lips. “My heart was always yours, Yami.” Yugi’s voice reached the crimson eyed boy who had already started withdrawing his hand from the younger boy’s cheek. “I’ve loved you for years. It was always you.” Having finished what he wanted to say, Yugi threw himself in Yami’s arms crying tears of happiness.

The older boy, shocked, placed his arms around the crying boy. His brain was a minute too late in realizing what Yugi had told him. Yugi loved him. Yugi loved him! He had loved him for years! This angelic creature loved him even after all he had put him through. Yugi loved him.

“But how…? What about Kaiba? And Malik and Marik?” Yami managed to ask, even though with how he held Yugi and what he had heard he didn’t want to push his luck. What if Yugi changed his mind? 

“It was always you, Sennen.” Kaiba confirmed, his blue eyes on Yami. “But, if you hurt Yugi again, there’ll be hell to pay.” 

Yami knew Kaiba’s words weren’t idle threats. He felt more confused than ever, especially seeing the arm that Kaiba had casually wrapped around Joey’s waist. Turning to face Marik and Malik next, he came in contact with Malik’s fist which caught him on his jaw. 

“That’s for hurting, Yugi.” Malik said, rubbing his aching fist after it came into contact with Yami’s jaw. Marik kissed his boyfriend’s injured hand before staring at Yami as if he was at fault for his boyfriend’s suffering.

“I guess I deserved that.” Yami said trying not to show how much it hurt, while Yugi pulled out of his arms with wide eyes checking on him before looking at his friend crossing his arms. 

“Don’t look at me like that, Yugi. He admitted he deserved it.” Malik defended himself, crossing his arms as well. Then he turned his attention back to Yami. “If Kaiba’s warning wasn’t enough, I’m telling you if you hurt my best friend I’m going to send Marik after you.”

“Bakura will join him.” Ryou casually added. His voice was steady and soft as if he was warning Yami, but his eyes glistered with emotions that revealed the exact opposite.

Yami’s face instantly turned pale, taking a step back, pulling Yugi with him. The younger boy, seeing Yami so terrified, started giggling. He couldn’t help but think that a terrified Yami was a rare sight, even though he could understand why he was so scared. No one wanted to face the joined forces of Bakura and Marik. Having them as his best friends for years, Yami could only imagine what they would do to him. His body probably would never be found.

“I’ll protect you.” Yugi whispered softly to him.

Crimson eyes took in the beautiful boy in front of him. Yugi had never been into violence. He would let people go around unpunished for the crimes against him. It was Yami and his friends who had stopped the bullies and had taught Yugi how to defend himself. Yami had always been Yugi’s protector, but he was also the one who had hurt him the most. Now Yugi wanted to protect him. He knew that Bakura and Marik wouldn’t hurt the younger boy as he knew Yugi meant it in both a teasing and serious way. He knew Yugi would protect his heart and his mind, and if it came to that, his body too.

Yami placed his hand back on Yugi’s cheek, softly stroking his angel’s cheek. Yugi cooed like a dove moving closer to Yami. “I’ll always protect you too, Yugi.”

“Aren’t they cute?” Serenity said softly, and Mokuba agreed. The girl moved closer to Tristan who wrapped an arm around her.

“I’m glad Yami came to his senses.” Tristan joined the younger members of the group, his arm around Serenity still there even though his eyes were on Joey. “If that dancing hadn’t done the trick, I would’ve given up on the whole thing.”

Some people nodded. Kaiba scorned and Joey laughed. The blonde didn’t need to warn Yami about what would happen if he would hurt his little friend. Yami already knew. The tri-colored mirror of the beautiful angel couldn’t quite understand what had happened, but he knew everyone in there with maybe the exception of Duke, were really protective of his little one.

“That was quite a dance, Yug!” Joey exclaimed remembering the dance. “Both dances really. You were holding out on us. When you said you could dance, I didn’t think anything remotely close to…that.” The blonde didn’t know how to describe the way the boy he considered a brother had moved. Damn, he was his brother of another mother but Yugi looked hot dancing like that.

Yugi blushed. Malik and Marik smirked. “You were quite hot.” Malik commented, making sure to breathe the last word out seductively. “We should have a repeat of that.”

Yami growled and pulled Yugi closer to him. Malik and Marik smirked even more. Yugi placed his arms around Yami’s waist and breathed in the other boy’s scent. Now that he knew Yami loved him, Yugi felt so much at ease. After so much heartache and the crazy schemes of his friends, he finally had Yami. He could finally be happy. With that thought, he looked up finding crimson eyes looking down at him.

“I know we need to talk. Both of us have much explaining to do, but do you think we could enjoy the party for now?” Yugi said softly, his eyes never wavering from the other’s captivating ones. “We all deserve some time to relax and have fun.” His amethyst gems sparkled with the happiness he felt. 

“I wouldn’t want it any other way, little one.” Yami answered, pulling the boy even closer. “Dance with me.” he whispered in Yugi’s ear, feeling the younger boy shivering. “Mokuba, some music, please?” he said louder, without taking his eyes off of the angel he held in his arms.

Mokuba signaled to the DJ. Music filled the room once again. Both Yugi and Yami recognized the song. It was Could I Have This Kiss Forever by Enrique Iglesias and Whitney Houston. It was fitting since both wished they could prolong the effects of their first kisses forever. 

Yami allowed his hands to rest barely above Yugi’s hips while Yugi’s arms found their way around Yami’s waist. The new couple barely took notice of the other couples taking similar positions. They were so lost in their own world. As they slowly moved to the music, Yami would softly sing the male parts of the song to Yugi’s ear while a blushing Yugi would repeat the female singer’s words to him. Just before the song ended, Yami leaned in with Yugi meeting him half way into a sweet kiss.

The song was followed by other songs and the gang found themselves going from slow songs to faster ones, everyone able to relax and unwind for the first time that week. The party was wild with Mai and Malik going against each other in a dance contest and Kaiba teasing Joey for his frequent visits to the snack table. At some point Kaiba had to excuse himself for some minutes to move a sleeping Mokuba to his room. The boy had curled on a couch after several dances with Serenity, Yugi, and Mai, and had fallen asleep. Yugi noticed and told Seto who in turn decided to take his little brother to his room. It was almost eleven, well past the young boy’s bedtime. 

An hour later, Mai and Duke decided that they wanted a wilder scene and took their leave to join some friends at a nightclub. Soon after, the rest of the gang decided to call it a night. Since it was already late and the gang had already arranged with their parents to stay at the mansion in favor of their project—they had completed it the previous day—the teens started walking towards the rooms Kaiba’s staff had set up for them. Ryou and Malik would share a room while Marik would share a room with Bakura. Tristan would stay with Joey to the room he occupied when he stayed over while Serenity would take the one across her brother’s.

“I should take my leave now, my little one” Yami said sadly, seeing how everyone started filling out of the large room and into their respected rooms. 

Yami was still confused by the dynamics in the group, especially after seeing the way Kaiba and Joey interacted as well as how close Bakura held Ryou when they danced, but Yugi and he had so much fun playing games and dancing that they hadn’t managed to talk yet.

Yugi looked at him, biting his lower lip. Yami’s eyes followed the nervous reflective movement. “Would you like to stay here tonight?” Yugi suggested softly. “We still haven’t talked” he added, his eyes on his new boyfriend, not wanting to let him go yet.

Yami was shocked for a moment. His eyes flickered towards Kaiba who seemed to have his blue eyes on him, a guardian not ready to fully trust his protégée to him yet. Seeing the direction Yami’s eyes had taken, Yugi assured his boyfriend that it was okay. The amethyst eyed boy knew there was a guest room Yami could use. 

“I better call my mother then.” Yami simply answered and took out his cell phone to call home. Yugi’s eyes sparkled with happiness. “I will be back, little one.”

While Yami was on the phone, Seto approached Yugi and told him he had already made arrangements in case Yami wanted to stay. Yugi knew that Yami and Seto didn’t really like each other so he appreciated Seto’s help. The tri-color haired boy hoped that in time those two would learn to tolerate each other and even become friends. Until then, he would do whatever he could to show them he appreciated their efforts. 

“Thank you, Seto. For everything.” Yugi said softly, placing his arms around Seto’s waist in a hug that lasted merely a second. “Go easy on him, okay?” he added, his amethyst eyes full of gratefulness and happiness.

Seto simply nodded and ushered Yugi towards the kitchen. “Why don’t you make yourself a cup of chocolate? You and Sennen have a lot to discuss.” Seto’s voice was casual, but Yugi could hear the tenderness behind the words. 

Smiling widely, knowing he was dismissed, he ran towards the kitchen. Moments later, Yami hung up the phone and looked questioning at Kaiba having seen Yugi running out of the room. With a sigh, Yami approached Kaiba. He knew he should acknowledge the boy no matter how much he disliked his arrogance. After all this was his house and he was the one letting him stay the night. He still didn’t know how Yugi and Kaiba were involved and why Kaiba let Yugi do whatever he wanted in his house but he had a feeling he would soon find out.

“Where did Yugi go?” Yami asked slowly, trying to keep his voice calm and polite. 

“When he’s nervous before sleeping, Yugi enjoys a cup of warm chocolate.” Kaiba answered, his voice full of smugness. Yami didn’t want to know how Kaiba knew this. “I bet he’ll appear in a bit with a tray and four cups.” 

Joey walked in the room and towards the two boys. He had left to make sure his sister was comfortable. “What was that about a tray and cups?” he asked cheerfully, smiling when Kaiba pulled him close to his side.

Yami took in their position. Kaiba raised an eyebrow but Yami simply shrugged. His little one would explain everything to him. It was more than obvious Kaiba and Joey were together. He had always suspected there was a thing going on between them, seeing how they always fought with each other, but Joey denied it when Yami had confronted him some days ago. He had even gone as far as claiming he wasn’t into males. Was everything a trick? The more he thought about it, the more he came to understand there was some great scheme there that was about to be revealed to him.

Joey and Kaiba were teasing each other about Joey’s insatiable hunger when Yugi walked in the room holding a tray. Four cups and two bowls were carefully placed on the tray, and Yugi’s steps were small and careful in order to keep them there. Seeing Joey’s hastily approach, Yugi held the tray tighter and shot his blonde friend a look that clearly screamed that if he took one more step, he would regret it. Yami had never seen Yugi give anyone such a look. It was something between a glare and a pout. He couldn’t help but start laughing. 

Startled by Yami’s booming laughter, Joey stopped to his tracks. “Ah, sorry, man.” he apologized sheepishly, understanding what had set Yami into his laughing fit. 

Yugi gracefully placed the tray on a table and smiled. He used to be such a klutz but dancing had helped him in that department. Still, with a tray in hand and four cups filled with hot liquid, he didn’t want to test his balance if Joey decided to leap for his cup. It had happened before resulting in a chocolate covered Yugi with cream running down his face. The boy was thankful for small miracles since it was a milkshake, a cold drink instead of a hot one, which Joey had accidentally tipped on him. 

“I think the puppy and I are ready for bed.” Kaiba announced, giving a look at Joey who was ready to react to the pet name. “Grab your bowl and drink like a good puppy.” Kaiba pushed him a bit more, grinning. 

Joey growled but grabbed his cup and one of the bowls before exiting the room whispering something about rich boys and dogs. Yugi covered his mouth with both hands to stifle his laughter while Yami stared at Kaiba in horror. He didn’t stop staring until Kaiba gently stroke Yugi’s hair, grabbed his own cup, and left the room following his boyfriend.

Yugi smiled softly and took Yami’s hand in his before leading the older boy to the couch. Making himself comfortable, Yugi took his cup in his hands and, bringing his legs close to his chest, he started talking. “I don’t know when my feelings for you changed from those of a best friend to that of a love interest but I’ve never been interested in anyone but you. Sure, I’d thought I liked Tea at some point, but I guess I simply liked how she was always so positive and strong.” Yugi balanced the untouched cup on his knees. “It took me a while to gather my courage to confess to you. I wanted to be sure I didn’t mistake my feelings of admiration for you for love, but it wasn’t as hard as people make it seem. Even though I am surrounded by such wonderful people, I’ve never wanted to be that close to anyone but you.” 

A soft smile graced the boy’s face and Yami wanted so much to reach and kiss him, but was also too stunned hearing Yugi’s soft words to move. He felt that if he interrupted the younger boy it would be so much harder for him to start talking again.

“One day, I gathered all my courage and decided to tell you about my feelings. I was scared out of my wits, but I couldn’t keep it inside me anymore. Every time you’d touch my hand or stayed over at my house, I felt my heart ready to burst out of my chest.” Yugi almost chuckled confessing this, but then his eyes clouded with sadness and pain. “I came to you that day, during lunch, but I was too late.” His voice broke but he tried to hide it by taking a sip of his chocolate. “I knew there was a good chance you would reject me, but I also knew you wouldn’t be cruel about it. I had prepared myself for your rejection, but seeing you kissing Tea…” his grip around the cup tightened, “…broke my heart. Like a coward, I ran away. It took me the whole day to calm down but I decided that if that was what you wanted, I would be there for you as a friend and nothing more. I wanted you to be happy, with or without me.”

Yami looked at the beautiful boy by his side speechless. He didn’t know if he would have reacted the same way if the positions were reversed. Would he want Yugi to be happy without him? If the fact he accepted being Tea’s boyfriend in order not to acknowledge his feelings for Yugi, or how he had reacted to the rumor Yugi wanted Tea were any indication, he would never act in such a selfless way.

“I didn’t even give you that.” Yami whispered, his voice colored with regret and guilt. “I pushed everyone away. I pushed you away.” He sipped some of his drink to do something with his hands other than grab and pull his hair.

“You did what was right to please the person you loved.” Yugi’s voice made him look up. “It hurt, Yami. It hurt so much not being able to be close to you anymore.” This time Yugi couldn’t hide the way his voice broke as tears started gathering in his eyes. “Knowing you hated me…”

Yami couldn’t take it anymore. He removed their cups from their hands and moved them to the table. Then, he gathered Yugi in his arms and held the boy close to him with no intention of ever letting him go. Yugi hid his face in Yami’s shirt and finally let the tears he forbade himself from shedding. He cried for a while with Yami rocking him softly and whispering how sorry he was for all the pain he had caused him. It took a while for Yugi to regain control of himself, but even then, Yami didn’t let him out of his embrace.  
The older boy couldn’t dream of letting Yugi go even for a moment. No. He wanted, needed, to reassure his boyfriend of his feelings, of how much he loved him. They needed to set strong foundations for the new status of their relationship. 

“Yugi, for a long time I was running from myself. I meant it when I said that I’ve always loved you. I was an idiot. Only when I got close to losing you, I understood how precious you were to me and how I couldn’t let my fears control me.” Yami took a deep breath, looking down at the precious creature he held. “I became Tea’s boyfriend not because I was in love with her but because I’d heard you were going to ask a girl out. I thought I didn’t want to be alone but what I really didn’t want was you to be with someone else. I had no idea you loved me or that you would confess to me that day. I was so confused by the feelings inside me after hearing the rumor about you being in love with a girl and I kept remembering my father’s words about relationships. So, when Tea asked me out, I took the coward’s way out.” 

Yugi looked up, listening intensely to Yami’s words. He couldn’t believe that he went through so much pain because of Tea’s rumors. How could a person who claimed to love him, be able to think of such a psychotic plan to get him? Yugi would never date her after all this mess, even if he had been interested in her. 

“Did you love her?” Yugi had to ask. He needed to know.

Yami ran a hand through his hair. “I liked her enough to date her, but no. I never loved her.” He lowered his eyes. “I just didn’t want to be alone.”

Yugi placed a hand on Yami’s cheek and made him look at him. “You’ll never be alone. As long as you want me, I’ll be by your side.”

Yami’s eyes glittered with unshed tears as he covered the distance between them and kissed Yugi. All the feelings of adoration, despair, and love were pushed into that one kiss which left Yugi breathless. For a while the two boys didn’t say anything else. Then, Yami reminded Yugi of his promise to explain to him the group’s dynamics.

“Ah, you see, Yami,” Yugi started with a mischief Yami had never seen in Yugi’s eyes, “you’ve never really lost me. I was never interested in anyone but you.” 

Then, the younger boy explained to him how Ryou and Bakura were a couple but didn’t let anyone know because of the rumors and how Kaiba had asked Joey out some time ago too. He told the crimson eyed boy of how for two days Yugi walked around not knowing if he was in a parallel universe, trying to understand why his friends acted so strange, and how he found out about their plan to discover about the older boy’s feelings for him. With a blush covering his cheeks, he proceeded to tell Yami about how he found out about him and Tea breaking up and his uncertainty if he was indeed Yami’s love interest.

“So, you decided to pay our friends back and then threw this party with Kaiba to test my feelings?” Yami asked in disbelief. “Who are you and what have you done to my sweet little Yugi?” he teased the younger boy, placing a soft kiss on Yugi’s nose.

Yugi stuck out his tongue. “To be honest, I deserved it.” Yami admitted after a while. “It only proves how blind I was not to see how much I love you, and how far you were willing to go to be with me.” He held Yugi closer to him, forcing the younger boy to lay on him. “I know it must have been hard for you.”

“I have you now.” was all Yugi said. 

“I just hope I deserved all this mess. I am nothing special compared to you, my angel.” Yami whispered so low that Yugi almost missed it. Almost.

With a soft smile, Yugi stood up, leaving Yami alone on the couch to look at his little one with confusion. Yugi walked to where Seto’s stereo was and after going through a stuck of CDs, he found what he was looking for. Soft music filled the room. Yami recognized the song as Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran. It wasn’t loud enough to wake up the rest of the household, but it was perfect for the two boys. Yugi waited until Yami approached him. Then, he started dancing around him, his lips shaping the words of the song. Yami was mesmerized by Yugi’s dancing as well as the implications of the song. Soon, he joined Yugi in the dance, both boys losing themselves in the soft music and their love.

“I love you.” Yugi whispered softly when the music died, the song coming to an end. “You deserve the world. Never doubt that.”

Yami’s crimson eyes shone with love as he took Yugi’s face in his hands and kissed him. The younger boy sighed with happiness. They continued to stand there and look at each other for a while before they both decided they were too happy for sleep. They ended up on the couch once again, talking about the last months they had been separated, with Yugi sharing funny anecdotes about Joey and Kaiba dancing around each other so much that he and Bakura had to force them in a room for an hour until they admitted their feelings for each other, or how red Ryou’s face was when Yugi found him and Bakura kissing in an empty classroom. Yami felt as if he was there experiencing those moments with Yugi; Yugi’s way of describing everything was so beautiful.

At some point Yugi had snuggled on Yami’s chest with Yami lying comfortably on the couch, holding the younger boy close to his body to keep him warm. Yugi’s soft voice was like a lullaby to him while Yami’s heartbeat was like Yugi’s favorite song. Neither of the two knew when it happened, but at some point sleep creeped on them, and the last conscious thought of both of them was how perfect the night was.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy some special moments of tendershipping, bronzeshipping, puppyshipping, and puzzleshipping.

A series of curses echoed through one of the long corridors of the Kaiba mansion as a white haired boy stood outside a closed door. That was supposed to be his room. Bakura banged his fist on the door one last time before walking towards a door some steps away. He ran a hand through his messy white hair and turned the handle, walking into the room. He was about to continue his cursing over two particularly irritating Egyptians when he noticed there was another person in the room he had just entered. His breath caught in his throat when the startled person turned to face him, revealing himself to be his boyfriend. 

Ryou stood by the bed, dressed in one of Bakura’s shirts that hung kind of loosely around his slender body. The younger boy had just managed to remove the pair of dark grey jeans he wore to the party, when the older boy’s entrance startled him. Doe-like brown eyes met deep forest brown eyes. Both boys kept staring at each other for a good minute, none of them knowing what to say. Then, Bakura cleared his throat.

“And they say, I am the thief.” he commented, enjoying the blush that crested his boyfriend’s face. “Not that I don’t appreciate the view, but why are you dressed in my shirt?” Bakura continued, his eyes taking in every part of his beautiful Ryou.

The younger boy struggled to regain his composure and continued getting dressed, turning his back to his boyfriend. He felt so strange standing half naked in front of the other boy. It was embarrassing and exhilarating at the same time. They had never done anything more than sharing some kisses, but the younger boy knew he could trust his boyfriend with his life. He knew that Bakura would never intentionally hurt him or take advantage of him. Even if at times Bakura was quite mean to people, he was a complete different person around the people he treasured. Thinking of how safe he felt being close to his boyfriend, Ryou took his time wearing a pair of pants that belonged to the older boy, smiling at how warm he felt in the other’s clothes even if they were a size bigger than his. 

“Marik came and grabbed Malik as soon as we entered our room. In his rush, Marik grabbed my backpack instead of his.” Ryou pulled a pair of clothes and turned pointing at them. “That’s what Malik would wear to sleep. I don’t fit in them and I’m grateful for that.”

Bakura raised an eyebrow looking at the pieces of clothing in front of him. The light violet top was almost see-through and the matching pants were so tight that the older boy could understand why his boyfriend seemed to prefer being caught naked rather than wearing Malik’s clothes. 

“I found your things here—probably Marik’s doing— and thought you wouldn’t mind me borrowing some clothes from you.” Ryou continued, another blush adorning his cheeks. Bakura couldn’t understand how he had ended up blessed with such an adorable creature. “You don’t mind, right?” Doubt creeped in Ryou’s voice.

“I most definitely don’t.” Bakura reassured him, moving closer to his boyfriend. “You actually look cute in my clothes.” A smirk was plastered on the older boy’s lips as Ryou’s eyes flashed with embarrassment.

“I’m not cute.” Ryou protested with an adorable pout on his face.

“Of course, my bunny.” Bakura appeased him, the smirk never leaving his lips. “Let me change into whatever is left of my clothes then.”

Ryou turned, once again blushing, giving his boyfriend some privacy to change. Bakura didn’t seem to have a problem changing in front of his boyfriend and he didn’t say anything as he slowly took off his clothes and replaced them with a pair of grey pajamas. When he was done, he placed his arms around the younger boy and pulled him close to his chest, inhaling his scent. Ryou always smelled like sweet tea and apple pie. 

“I will need to thank Marik in the morning.” the older white haired boy whispered in his boyfriend’s ear, holding him close to him. 

Ryou’s lips shaped a soft smile. “I know what you mean. I haven’t felt so relaxed in such a long time. I was so happy tonight.” The younger boy turned in his boyfriend’s arms, looking up at his eyes. “’Kura…”

Bakura met Ryou half way in a kiss. It wasn’t soft but it wasn’t rough either. It was just right. It comprised all the contradictory feelings of despair and happiness Ryou felt as well as Bakura’s possessiveness and tenderness for Ryou. With Ryou always being on alert every time they were in public, afraid someone would see them together and spread rumors at school, the couple couldn’t really enjoy themselves but in the company of their friends. The party had been a great outlet for all of them and led to a night they could spend together. They had never spent a whole night together.

As they parted for air, Ryou laid his head on Bakura’s chest and smiled peacefully. “I am glad everything is fine now.” He didn’t need to say anything else. He knew Bakura would understand what everything implied.

The older boy held his boyfriend close. He had never thought he would be one to fall so deeply in love with another person, but upon meeting Ryou he understood his tough exterior meant nothing. He could use his fists and sarcastic words to taunt and beat bullies and gang members. He could slip easily in and out of secure places to play his pranks. However, Bakura had no idea what to do when it came to the gentle and polite British boy that transferred to their school some years ago. The young boy had shied away from him before the older one even had a chance to introduce himself. It was only after Yugi’s interference that Ryou started feeling more comfortable around his older look-alike.  
“Do you think they will be okay?” Bakura heard Ryou whisper on his chest, the words muffled by his shirt but still comprehendible.

“Yes.” the older boy answered with conviction and before his boyfriend could protest, he swept him off his feet, bridal style, and moved towards the bed.

Ryou squealed and held on Bakura. The older boy smirked and gently placed the boy on the bed. He was about to pull back when a pair of arms pulled him down. Before he could even blink, he found himself on top of Ryou. A soft blush colored the younger boy’s cheeks as his boyfriend looked at him with amusement before rolling to the side. When both boys were comfortable in bed, Ryou snuggled on Bakura’s chest and closed his eyes. Bakura pulled the blankets around them and started running his hand through Ryou’s hair; the action relaxing for both of them. They spent a good portion of the night just like that, enjoying the closeness, until sleep claimed them.

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“Bakura will be extra angry in the morning.” Malik commented casually, trying to muffle a yawn. 

He felt pleasantly exhausted and knew that soon he wouldn’t be able to keep his eyes open. All the dancing in the party had taken a toll on him, so he was already lightheaded when his boyfriend had burst into the room he shared with Ryou, grabbed him and his backpack, and brought him to the room he was supposed to share with Bakura, kicking in the process the latter out. To say Bakura was pissed was the understatement of the century. The white haired boy’s swearing expanded in three different languages, Japanese, English, and Egyptian, before eventually dying out. 

“He will be fine. He should be thanking me instead.” Marik answered without a care in the world.

The older Egyptian was quite happy and content having his younger look-alike in his arms. Ishizu’s dislike for him didn’t allow him to see Malik as often as he wanted. To have his boyfriend all night, especially after spending a whole night watching his boyfriend’s lithe body move in such sinful ways, was pure heaven. He had allowed Kaiba to keep his illusion that he would sleep separated from his kitten and as soon as the brown haired billionaire was out of sight, he went and retrieved his boyfriend. His partner-in-crime could find somewhere else to sleep.

“I am sure he went to your room.” Marik smirked, knowing his friend was with his boyfriend as well.

Malik smiled and snuggled closer to Marik as the older Egyptian rubbed his back. He was so tired. It wasn’t just the dancing. He had danced so much, feeling the adrenaline-charged thrill running through his body. He had enjoyed each one of them, but not as much as he enjoyed his dance with Yugi and Marik. He couldn’t stop visualizing the way his best friend danced at first on his own, and later on with him and his boyfriend.

When Yugi had said he would dance for Yami hoping that would make the older boy confess his feelings, neither Malik nor Marik expected anything of that sort. How could they expect such a sexy dance from little Yugi? However, what surprised Malik the most was the desire he felt to dance with Yugi. As if his boyfriend knew what was going on in his mind, Marik approached the DJ and then a song Malik knew all too well started playing. Malik kept telling himself it was about bringing Yami to Yugi, but as Yugi started dancing with him, he couldn’t deny a small part of him enjoyed the dance with the young boy a bit more than he should. When he took in the way his boyfriend looked at them with desire, Malik was undone. 

Despite the rumors, Malik hadn’t slept with Marik. They may have been the ones that had their relationship out in the open and didn’t care about touching and making out in front of people, but they both felt their first time should be special and they should wait for it. After this night, Malik knew that both wouldn’t have to wait for much longer. Even though they had spent most of the night kissing and touching, they mutually decided Kaiba’s mansion wasn’t the right place for their special night. That didn’t mean of course they couldn’t show each other how much they were affected by the dances and teasing. It was no wonder Malik felt so exhausted and, from the yawn he heard some seconds ago by his older look-alike, Marik wasn’t much better. 

“I would like to check on Yugi, but I am so tired.” Malik said, another yawn making him feel as if his lips stretched way too much. 

“Don’t worry, kitten.” Marik purred in his ear, giving it a soft bite. “I’m sure Yami won’t make the same mistake. Our little friend will be okay. We can check on him after we get some sleep.”

He and Malik hadn’t talked about how much they were affected by Yugi’s dance. They didn’t need to. They both knew that their schemes had affected them more than friendship allowed, but they were more than happy in their own relationship to feel guilty about it. Marik had his kitten and his kitten had him. The amethyst-eyed gem belonged with Yami. That’s how things were meant to be. 

Malik’s breathing was the only thing that filled the silence for a while. When Marik was sure his boyfriend was asleep, he gently placed Malik’s head on a pillow to be more comfortable, and kissed his forehead. He was always the one who everyone thought to be a bit crazy. He would often get in trouble and his sense of humor sometimes was too crude. However, Malik was always able to center him. Marik had grown up in an abusive environment with a father that came home drunk more often than not. Instead of being meek and avoiding confrontation, after the first beating when Marik was thirteen, Marik met his father with rebellion. The punishments he received were severe but for the six months that phase lasted, he didn’t allow the man to break him. The experience changed him, but didn’t take away his ability to trust and love.

His father had ended up dead. Alcohol poisoning, the doctor had said. Marik could only say good riddance. His older brother had just turned eighteen and became his guardian since their mother had died years ago. There weren’t many who knew about Marik’s father. The man had enough sense to avoid hitting him in the face, most of the time. However, Yami and Bakura had found out. Yugi too had sensed something was wrong. Instead of confronting him like the other two did, Yugi offered his comfort in silence with small actions that mattered. When the younger boy noticed Marik’s interest for the new transferred boy and Yugi’s newest friend, Malik Ishtar, Yugi instantly knew that boy would help his friend and made it his mission to break through Malik’s superstition against his older look-alike.

“If he does hurt him again, we will be there to pick the pieces.” Marik whispered in the darkness, an arm possessively around his boyfriend. An unpleasant smile appeared on his face for a second before his lips relaxed once again. “I promise you.”

Marik lowered himself to the bed and pulled his boyfriend closer studying a small mark on the younger boy’s exposed shoulder. He had grabbed Ryou’s clothes instead of Malik’s when he had grabbed his kitten. Refusing to have Malik in another’s clothes, after their playing time, he had dressed the younger Egyptian in one of his shirts which hang loosely around Malik’s petite form. Marik grinned. He didn’t mind. He liked seeing his mark on the younger boy’s body. Soon… the boy would be his forever. He would never allow anyone else to claim Malik. He would make sure the younger boy was as happy in their relationship as he felt. 

As if Malik felt his boyfriend feelings, a hand grabbed his shirt as the younger boy curled closer to his boyfriend. “Marik…” the name fell from his lips in a soft content sigh.  
A real smile made itself apparent on Marik’s lips. “Good night, my love” he mouthed the words so lowly that only the shadows would be able to hear them, before he closed his eyes and joined his soon-to-be lover to sleep.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kaiba had just come out of Mokuba’s room. It was a habit of his to check on his younger brother when he was home. If Mokuba knew of this habit, he didn’t know since the kid had never said anything about it. Just knowing his brother was safe in his bed made Seto feel calm. 

“I guess I’m not the only one.” Seto heard the voice before he saw the person. 

He could imagine the small grin gracing the blonde’s lips. Seto turned to face his boyfriend. “You aren’t.”

Joey nodded and approached his boyfriend. He couldn’t help checking on Serenity. His parents had gotten divorce when he was five years old. His mother had moved out of their house taking Serenity with her. She had said she would return for Joey, but his father held onto him, fighting with teeth and nails to keep the only part of his family left behind. He was once a good policeman, but after several years of handling gruesome cases he reached a breaking point and developed a drinking problem. One drink led to another one and soon he would down a bottle per day. He eventually lost his job, which further stressed his relations with his wife. Then one day he came home angry after a night of drinking and after an argument he slapped her. Another day he roughly grabbed Serenity, who was barely three years old.

It took his father five years to get his act together. He was hard to be around for little Joey, but because of him Joey had grown up sooner than he should. Still, he held onto his innocence. He had Yugi to thank for that. He had been a bully but Yugi and his grandfather were always there for him. When his father understood he would lose Joey and any chance of getting his family back if he didn’t get a hold of himself, he started changing. He reached for help. It took another year for him to get better and another year for Joey’s mother to trust him again. Joey had barely seen his sister during those years. It was logical for him to be a bit protective over his baby sister, or very protective.

“I take it Serenity is in her room…alone.” Kaiba’s smirk was a knowing one. He knew his blonde was worried Tristan would try to seduce his sister.

“Of course. I made sure Tristan is locked in my room, too.” Joey’s smirk could rival that of his boyfriend. 

“You do know that this is highly unsafe. In case of an emergency you would have to go back and unlock his door.” the brown haired boy scolded, even though he couldn’t care less. He knew there wasn’t any real danger. “So, why aren’t you at your room?”

Joey pointed at the empty cup in his hands. “I was about to take these to the kitchen.” 

“Come on, puppy. That’s a lame excuse.” Seto reached for his boyfriend and pulled him close to him, forcing Joey’s back to hit his muscular chest. “We both know you are such a slob. You wouldn’t care to take these back.” A soft expression appeared on Kaiba’s face, one Joey didn’t need to see to know it was there. “You want to check on him.”

The blonde’s shoulders fell knowing he was caught. He wanted to make sure Yugi was okay. He had mostly been quiet throughout the party, his eyes taking in the way Yugi interacted with everyone. It wasn’t lost to him that Yami was always by Yugi’s side, taking in every little thing the younger boy said or did. The look on Yami’s face was one of adoration. Still, Joey couldn’t sleep before checking on the younger boy. 

“I would have already done that if he was in his room.” Joey confessed, refraining from pouting.

He had checked Yugi’s room but it was empty, same as Yami’s. He and Seto had spent some time together in the kitchen enjoying their drink which resulted in a second cup of chocolate for Joey, the one he currently had in his hands. At some point they had decided to go to their rooms and rest, only to change direction and check on their siblings. Yugi was second on Joey’s list, after Serenity. 

“Isn’t that where you were going too?” the blonde turned to face his boyfriend. Seto remained motionless for some moments and then nodded. “Let’s go find him, then.”

Before Kaiba could say anything, Joey was out of his arms. The blonde rushed downstairs and towards the room in which they held the party. The door was half open and the blonde was ready to burst in when his boyfriend’s hand stopped him. He didn’t need to say anything to make Joey understand that bursting in a room like that wasn’t polite at all. The younger boy had the decency to bow his head sheepishly before taking a peek in the room.

His eyes grew twice their size seeing the couple of tricolor haired boys curled on the couch with Yami protectively holding Yugi close to him. The blonde walked in the room, careful not to make a sound and wake up the boys. The younger boy was snuggled on Yami’s chest, one of his hands clenching the older boy’s shirt. Both boys’ faces were so peaceful. Walking closer, Joey noticed that Yami had covered most of Yugi’s body with his own as if he was trying to keep the smaller boy warm.

He turned towards his boyfriend, only to see him exit the room. As he took in the mess around the room, a sign that the party was a success and everyone had enjoyed themselves, he smiled spotting a bowl of sweets by two empty cups. Looking towards the door to make sure Seto wasn’t there, he reached, grabbed a honey delicacy and quickly popped it in his mouth. The sweetness engulfed his taste buds and he let out a sigh of happiness. Absent-mindedly he reached for another sweet and popped it in his mouth too.  
“You had enough sweets for a day.” a voice stopped him from reaching for the bowl a third time.

With a guilty look that equaled that of a child being caught sneaking cookies out of the cookies jar, the blonde turned and faced the brunette. Seto raised an eyebrow. In his hands he held a blanket. To do something other than look at his boyfriend, Joey grabbed the blanket out of Seto’s hands and gently covered the two boys with it. When he was satisfied with the result, he turned to face his boyfriend, knowing he couldn’t detain it anymore. 

“Say it. I eat like a dog.” he sighed, knowing the brunette wouldn’t let such a chance go to waste. 

A hard hand cupped his cheek before he was pulled in a kiss. Joey felt Seto’s tongue exploring his lips as if they were the coasts of America. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he melted into the strong boy’s arms. He had never believed he would fall in love with a person like Kaiba. Yet, here he was, totally in love with the owner of Kaiba Corp., a workaholic who loved to make dog jokes to taunt him. It had taken the blonde quite some time to come to terms with his attraction for the older boy and even more time to confess his feelings to anyone. Yugi had been his confidant, but he knew others knew about his crush on Kaiba long before he was ready to admit it. They would just dance around each other, ignoring the elephant in the room. It had come to the point that a frustrated Yugi had locked them in a room threatening to let them rot in there until they confessed their feelings to each other.

Joey had been as shocked as Seto was to find out his feelings were returned. After some moments of silence, Joey gathered his courage and told Seto he liked him. The older boy reluctantly opened up and confessed as well. When Yugi opened the door, he found his two friends locked in such a heated kiss that had turned the young boy’s face a beautiful red that apples and strawberries would be jealous of.

Breaking the kiss for air, Seto smirked. To others, the blonde in front of him was a lowbred troublemaker with no skills to make anything big for himself. To Seto, he was a rough jewel, a bit damaged but still precious. Joey was a spitfire and Seto liked that. He didn’t care that the boy could often be a guff ball or held a pseudo-macho attitude to intimidate anyone who was foolish enough to hurt his friends or family. He knew there was a kindness and fragility only the closest people to him could see. He was able to love the infamous Seto Kaiba, also known as ‘the iceberg’. Seto couldn’t ignore such an important part.

“You had honey and chocolate on your lips. I couldn’t resist.” Seto explained with a smirk that was reserved only for his boyfriend. Joey was about to protest, but the brunette stopped him. “As I said, you had enough sweets for a day.” He softly pushed his boyfriend outside of the room, his blue eyes lingering for a moment to Yugi’s sleeping form.  
“Okay, okay. I’ll go to my room” the blonde exclaimed with a theatrical sigh. 

“I don’t think so, puppy.” Seto simply said, and that was all the warning Joey got before he was swept off his feet and was carried all the way to Kaiba’s bedroom. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The shadows danced around the moonlight filtered through the heavy curtains of the room when Yami opened his eyes again. His head felt heavy and his muscles ached. He tried to remember where he was and why he was in such an uncomfortable position. As he tried to move, a soft muffled murmur made him freeze on the spot. Bewildered, he looked down, only to notice the weight he’d felt was Yugi. Instantly, Yami remembered where he was and why he was in such an uncomfortable position. A soft smile was shaped on his lips as he held the young boy close to him. Yugi snuggled closer on his chest, a peaceful smile gracing his cherubic face.

“How did I get so lucky?” Yami whispered to himself, his eyes glued on the beautiful creature in his arms.

Really careful not to wake up the sleeping boy in his arms, he pushed away one of Yugi’s stray bangs. Yami still couldn’t believe that not only Yugi had accepted his feelings but he returned them tenfold. The younger boy had confessed he was in love with him for quite some time. Everything that had happened during the last days had been a plan to bring to the surface Yami’s feelings. For Yami it was a wakeup call not only about the nature of his feelings but also about the gang’s feelings. Yugi didn’t look further into the matter but Yami now knew that Yugi’s bonds with each member of the gang were stronger than he’d ever imagine, and not everyone saw the young amethyst gem only as a friend.  
He knew that none of them would claim Yugi for as long as he was in love with Yami, but if he broke the young boy’s heart again, they would be there to pick up the pieces and make sure Yugi would be fine. On one hand, the thought was comforting, knowing that his little one would never be alone, but on the other hand it made him feel people expected him to mess up again. It only strengthen his resolution not to do such a thing.

As Yami moved a bit to free his arm and get more comfortable, he noticed the blanket around them. That wasn’t there when they’d fallen asleep. Someone had walked in the room while they were sleeping and had covered them to stay warm; well, they were probably more concerned about Yugi. He didn’t have the chance to make up with the rest of the gang yet. All he cared about during and after the party was Yugi. 

“Let’s get you to your room.” Yami whispered and really carefully he managed to untangle himself from the sleeping boy.

As if he was about to move a baby, Yami placed the blanket around Yugi and gently took him in his arms, walking out of the room and upstairs. Yugi had told him Kaiba had arranged a guest room for him at the end of the corridor to his left. Yugi had mentioned his own room was at the corridor to his right. Yami had noticed Kaiba’s not so subtle hint that Kaiba was still cautious about him. He took the right corridor and found the room that was assigned to Yugi. Once inside, he lightly placed the boy on the bed and kissed his forehead before turning to leave.

“Yami…” Yugi’s sleepy voice made him stop. 

“Yes, little one?” Yami answered, retracing his steps back to Yugi’s bed.

Yugi rubbed his eyes trying to push the sleep out of them. His small hand reached and found Yami’s, giving it a soft tug, but no word left his lips. After a second tug, Yugi smiled a beautiful innocent smile. “Stay.”

It was such a simple request, spoken with so much love, that Yami couldn’t refuse even if he wanted to. Not that he wanted to refuse. Knowing that Kaiba would probably kill him and not care one bit, Yami pushed the blankets away and joined Yugi in bed. Once again he pulled the younger boy into his arms and let his little one snuggle with him.  
“I’ll never understand what the hell I was thinking all these months, but I’ll never give you up.” Yami’s soft words penetrated the fuzzy state of sleep the young boy was in resulting to a muffled sigh of happiness. “I love you, my little one.”

Yami closed his eyes and allowed himself to bath in the bliss of the night, having his angel in his arms. He was soon asleep so he didn’t hear Yugi repeating his love to him before he too fell asleep once again.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now finally my story here caught up with the one on ff.net. That means you will need to wait a while for chapter 14 but as you can see my chapters get longer and longer as we reach the end.
> 
> Once again, I want to thank Sky King Haruka for going through the chapter and making sure everything is fine there, and Demon Lionka for pointing out some awkward moments there that needed to be changed.  
> I don’t own Yu-Gi-Oh, even though Yami owns my heart. Enjoy.

Chapter 13:

The first knock on the door was ignored. Marik covered his head with the pillow but the incessant knocking didn’t stop. A nearby muffled groan caused the Egyptian boy to remove the pillow and look down at his boyfriend’s irritated and confused iris-colored eyes. Marik instantly forgot everything else and focused on his boyfriend, stroking the boy’s hair as if Malik was his favorite pet. Malik slapped his hand away but Marik chuckled and kept stroking Malik’s hair despite the boy’s annoyance.

“Open the damn door.” A chilling voice was heard from the other side of the door. “I know you’re in there, both of you.” Kaiba’s voice was loud enough to reach the boys but Marik didn’t feel like dealing with him yet.

“Ah, Seto, maybe you should skip to the part where you tell them that Ishizu is here and that she’s coming upstairs.” Joey’s voice was heard, making both boys freeze.

Before anyone could count to three, both Egyptian boys were out of bed, Malik frantically muttering curses in a voice so low Marik could barely make out the words. As soon as both were presentable—Malik as presentable he could be in Marik’s clothes— Marik opened the door only to be met by four different sets of eyes. 

“Where is my sister?” Malik’s voice was one of a person ready to meet their maker. 

“In her house, probably drinking her coffee.” Joey answered with a mischievous look in his eyes. “You two wouldn’t open the door, so I thought…”

A growl emitted by Marik cut him off. “Ah, you thought it was okay to scare my boyfriend.” the older Egyptian said in such a silky voice that made Joey instantly feel like a deer sighted by a predator. “I see…” Marik continued, his voice low and dangerous.

Before anyone could see it coming, Joey was on his back with Marik on top of him. Joey gave the Egyptian boy a look of fear before his booming laughter echoed in the corridor. Marik was relentlessly tickling him, knowing the blonde was extremely sensitive. By the time an amused Kaiba pulled Marik away from his boyfriend, Joey was about to swear his undivided loyalty to Malik’s service in order to have the older Egyptian stop.

“That was an amusing way to start our day,” Malik commented, his eyes full of tears of mirth. “Now… not that I don’t enjoy seeing your puppy being taught a lesson, but for the love of Ra why would you bang on our door like that?”

“Ah,” Kaiba started, his voice close enough to the one Marik had used on Joey, “that would be because I discovered there were some changes to the rooming arrangements I made yesterday. Would you happen to know anything about it?” His question was answered by silence as Malik found his shoes quite interesting all of the sudden and Marik seemed intended to study every inch of a painting across the wall. “You can’t imagine my surprise when I discovered that Ryou was actually sharing a room with Bakura rather than you, Malik.” A lazy grin made its appearance on Kaiba’s face.

“Did he now…” Malik whispered under his breath, trying to look innocent even though he knew all of them were caught.

Kaiba raised an eyebrow while Joey tried really hard not to start laughing. He didn’t wish to provoke Marik anymore. Said Egyptian boy seemed to contemplate how to handle the situation. Marik didn’t like Malik being on the spot, but he still didn’t feel guilty or ashamed about sharing a room with his boyfriend. 

“Well, I needed time with my Malik-kitten after all that dancing. And if you must know, we didn’t do anything so stop being such pricks.” Marik murmured, his eyes moving from the painting and finding their way to Kaiba’s face. Seeing Kaiba’s expression, he searched for another target. “What did you tell them?” he pointed towards the white haired boys with his eyes.

“Ah, you see…Bakura was nice enough to explain to me how he ended up in Ryou’s room,” Kaiba started with a smirk, which got wider when he heard Marik calling Bakura a traitor, “…but of course it helped that I already knew where each one of you were anyway.”

Both guilty couples looked at him shocked. Then, Bakura exclaimed, “I told you he had cameras all over the place!”

Joey laughed. 

“Don’t be stupid, Bakura. There are no cameras in the house. Did you honestly think that I didn’t hear the ruckus you created last night when you were thrown out of your room?” Kaiba casually answered, but there was a sparkle of amusement in his eyes. 

Seto had seen Marik pushing the white haired boy out of his room after carrying a laughing Malik inside. He hadn’t revealed his presence to the thief, waiting to see how it would play out. It was when Kaiba had gone to his room to get Joey a jacket before he returned to the kitchen where they spent a part of the night talking. Kaiba had shared that tidbit with his boyfriend, a wicked grin on his face. 

“I was just giving Bakura a chance to share some quality time with his Ryou.” Marik turned everyone’s attention to the white haired boys. 

“Of course you were. Because who could forget that you’re bloody freakin’ cupid.” Bakura said sarcastically crossing his arms while Ryou blushed.

The group started laughing, even Kaiba chuckled. They all felt so much more relaxed after the party and spending a night with their boyfriends, especially after all the stressful rumors that were going around, Yugi’s situation, and their scheme. They had fun teasing their friend but they were also concerned about how the plan would affect Yugi if it failed.

“Do you think we should check on Yugi? I wanted to do it yesterday but I was too tired.” Malik said, his thoughts turning to the young boy. 

“Last time I checked, he had fallen asleep with Yami on the couch. I didn’t have the heart to wake him up,” Kaiba said, remembering how he had found the two boys cuddling on the couch.

“You have a heart? That’s news.” Bakura teased, causing Kaiba to narrow his eyes in an almost dangerous way, which Bakura utterly dismissed until Ryou poked his arm, hard. “Bunny!” he complained, causing everyone to chuckle and Ryou to turn a healthy shade of red. “Well, anyway, I don’t like to be the one to burst your bubble, but no one is in the living room. I went there before you came for your morning wakeup call because Ryou forgot his watch, and the room was empty.”

Everyone turned to Kaiba. “I told you I don’t have cameras all over the place!” he exclaimed exasperated. “They probably woke up at some point and went to their rooms.” He said seemingly hopeful of that.

“You sound almost hopeful.” Marik voiced his opinion, a smirk on his face. He knew Yami wouldn’t try anything with Yugi but he wouldn’t be surprised if his friend had stayed in Yugi’s room just to watch him sleep. “Hey, why don’t we go and check?”

Malik smiled widely, mischief in his eyes. “Have you ever tried to wake up Yugi in the morning?”

A similar smile and look appeared on Ryou’s face. Both Ryou and Malik had sleepovers at the Muto household before. “Oh, yes! Let’s go!” Excited, he grabbed a bewildered Bakura’s hand and pulled him towards Yugi’s room.

The older white haired boy didn’t know who was more excited about the prospect of waking Yugi up, Malik or Ryou. What was so thrilling about waking up the tricolor haired boy? Honestly, he didn’t know. Most people weren’t really balls of sunshine first thing in the morning, especially if they were forcibly woken up. Not to mention he also believed that they would probably find more than a sleeping Yugi in his room. A smirk appeared on the boy’s lips as he moved with his boyfriend, hearing the others behind him. Only when they were in front of Yugi’s door, Ryou stopped pulling his hand and motioned everyone to be quiet. 

Really carefully, Ryou opened the door, thankful none of Kaiba’s doors creaked, and slipped in the room with Malik on his heels. The rest of the gang followed the two boys, moving closer to the queen sized bed. The curtains were pulled closed but a thin line of sunlight escaped through illuminating the room, allowing them to see the original occupant of the bed peacefully sleeping. The bed was a mess of blankets and pillows, with Yugi lying in the middle of this mess, his arm around a pillow. 

Ryou and Malik cooed at the sight of the peaceful smile on Yugi’s rosy lips. Yugi asleep resembled an innocent child—a sleeping angel. Ryou and Malik exchanged a look, before Malik moved to Yugi’s side and poked the sleeping boy’s cheek. Yugi didn’t flinch. Ryou moved close to Malik and repeated the action twice. Yugi swapped his hand away, still asleep. Malik grinned. The two boys took turns to softly poke and shake their sleeping friend, with matching mischievous smiles adorning their faces.

“Mmm, five more minutes, grandpa.” came Yugi’s sleepy voice.

Everyone knew that Yugi didn’t enjoy waking up in the morning. Joey was that way too so whenever they had sleepovers, both boys would enjoy their morning sleep. Ryou on the other hand was an early riser. Whenever Ryou, Malik, and Yugi had a sleepover, he would be the first to wake up. During their first sleepover, Malik and Ryou discovered how fun it was to wake Yugi up. After Ryou woke Malik up who was used to waking up early because of Ishizu, they both tried to wake their host too. They had ended up tickling him to wake him up. Amused by the tricks they needed to perform to wake up the tricolor haired boy, the two guests tried again during their next sleepover. Soon it turned into a game for them to play during their sleepovers, but the rules had changed. 

Malik leaned down and imitating Yami’s voice whispered to Yugi’s ear, “Yugi…” It was a trick he hadn’t tried before since he knew he would have actually hurt the younger boy.  
A soft shiver ran down Yugi’s spine and his hand clenched the pillow tighter. “Yami…” the name fell from his lips like a prayer, a sigh of love and adoration.

Everyone, but Malik and Ryou, looked at the sleeping boy, stunned. They had never heard Yugi sound like that. His voice was like a dove’s coo, too sweet and soft for a teenage boy, but huskier than a girl’s. The young boy possessed an aura of cherubic innocence as he slept peacefully. 

Malik looked at Ryou who shook his head no. This wasn’t a trick they should play. “Let’s show them why we brought them here.” Ryou suggested. A knowing smile on his face revealed he was prepared for what would happen next—Yugi had adapted to their morning teasing.

The younger Egyptian boy smirked and climbed on the bed. He came to kneel right beside the sleeping boy and then started tickling him, starting from his feet all the way up to his belly. The tricolor haired boy squirmed, moved, and tried to free himself without leaving the dream he was in, but Malik’s ministrations kept pulling him towards reality. Then, before Malik knew what was happening, he found himself on his back with Yugi on top of him, a sleepy look on his face, but his grip on Malik’s hands remaining firm.

The other boys, with the exception of a giggling Ryou, looked at Malik and Yugi with wide eyes. It was a sight to behold. Yugi always seemed so fragile, yet he had managed to do such a thing to Malik. It was obvious all the martial arts lessons he had during the last few years had paid off. Joey’s mouth was open while Bakura resisted the urge to whistle. Kaiba wanted to say something about how he didn’t think such a position was proper, but he found himself caught between that odd feeling of protectiveness he felt towards Yugi and the feeling of amusement the boy’s actions roused in him.

“Good morning, sunshine.” Malik wished him, mirth in his voice and eyes.

At some point, during one of their recent sleepovers, Ryou found himself in the same position when Yugi’s martial arts training kicked in. The action wasn’t as funny then, because their position on the bed wasn’t ideal. Malik had found it pretty amusing, so Ryou had challenged him to try it himself next time. The Egyptian did and ended up in the same position as Ryou with a bewildered Yugi on top. 

“What in the name of Ra are you doing?” Yami’s angry voice came out as a hiss, dangerous like a snake ready to attack, interrupting the boys’ game. His crimson eyes took in the crowded room before focusing on the bed and Malik’s position with Yugi straddling him. The amethyst eyed boy seemed to be unfocused, his eyes still misty by sleep. 

Everyone turned to face the older tricolored hair boy standing by the open door of the room’s bathroom. He was dressed in the same clothes he wore in the party and his hair was wet in places, a proof of his attempts to tame it after a night of sleep. 

“Uh oh.” Marik cringed. “Prepare for a Mind Crush.”

“What’s a Mind Crush?” Bakura whispered bewildered, recognizing the look in Yami’s eyes as one clearly saying he was furious. 

“There is this anime and the main character looks kind of like Yami but more psychotic and he punishes his host’s enemies by crushing their mind after they lose or cheat on a game he sets.” Marik quickly explained, thinking that maybe Malik and Ryou’s little game would end up badly with Yami in the room.

“I personally believe he is in love with his host.” Malik gave his opinion, looking a bit too comfortable for Yami’s liking. “They would look good together.”

“Do you think now is the time to talk about your favorite anime?” Kaiba interrupted them, noticing Yami’s eyes turning a shade darker. At times like these, he wondered how he could be in the same room with people like Marik, Malik, or Bakura. Yugi sure had some weird friends.

Yami took a step closer to Yugi’s bed. Ryou moved closer to Bakura, while Kaiba placed a hand around Joey’s waist. Marik just stood there, looking at Yami as if he was a predator in search of his next prey, ready to interfere if the older tricolor haired boy decided that his boyfriend was game. With Yugi in the mix, Marik knew Yami would think twice before attacking. As if he knew what was in Marik’s mind, a lazy smile appeared on Yami’s face as he took another step closer to where his boyfriend was. 

“Look, Yami…” Ryou tried, his voice weak, “…we…were just playing…” Yami’s eyes shone. “I mean…he…he is cute…and…”

Whatever else he wanted to say was lost when Yami stopped in front of him. Ryou gulped. Bakura pulled his boyfriend behind him, effectively hiding him from Yami, his eyes challenging the other boy. Yami rarely showed this side of him, but when he did he was downright scary. But Bakura would never allow anyone to hurt his Ryou. Yami grinned lazily before his lips turned into a thin line.

“This game is over.” Yami whispered and moving past his friends, he offered Yugi his hand.

The sleepy boy gave him a smile and took his boyfriend’s hand. That was all the encouragement Yami needed. In a moment, Yugi found himself being held in Yami’s strong arms. “Now…Get out.” Yami said the words so low that they would be easily missed if he didn’t have everyone’s attention.

For a second nothing happened. Then, one by one, everyone started filling out of the room, their eyes on Yami as if they didn’t trust he would let them leave just like that. The last to leave was Kaiba. He didn’t like the idea of being kicked out of one of his own rooms by Sennen or leaving Yugi behind. His eyes met Yami’s crimson ones, and there he saw all the protectiveness the tricolor haired boy felt for the young boy. Accepting his retreat was the best tactic, Kaiba left the room closing the door behind him.

Yami stayed there looking at the closed door until his boyfriend’s soft voice forced him to focus on the boy in his arms. “Well that was interesting.”

Yugi rubbed his eyes, smiling at his boyfriend’s surprised expression. Yugi stretched like a cat and yawned, with Yami taking in every single movement his angel performed. When a pair of sleep-misted amethyst eyes focused on him again, Yami leaned down and kissed him softly on the forehead causing Yugi to blush.

“Good morning, little one.”

“It’s surely a good morning waking up to you,” Yugi said, a wide smile upon his lips. “Amusing as well, seeing as how you scared our friends out of the room. What was that all about?” 

Seeing genuine curiosity reflected in Yugi’s eyes, Yami understood his boyfriend was totally clueless to the storm of emotions he felt seeing Malik so comfortably teasing the younger boy. “I don’t like sharing you.” the older boy simply answered. 

He didn’t want to tell his young boyfriend how delighted he was to hear his name called by those rosy lips as if it was the beginning of a prayer or how insanely jealous he was of the way Malik was resting comfortably beneath him as if it was the most enjoyable position in the world. Yugi was his and he would be damned if he would allow anyone, even their friends, to share such moments with him. A part of his mind kept telling him it was stupid feeling that way, it was just teasing, but another part was content with the possessiveness he felt for his Yugi, especially after the last days’ events. 

“You know, most people would think possessiveness may suffocate a relationship, but I think it’s quite sexy when you do it.” Yugi said the words with so much emphasis that caused Yami to blush. The younger boy pulled his boyfriend into a soft kiss. “I will tell the guys to loosen the teasing.” Yami smiled. Yugi knew exactly what to say to calm him down. “How about some breakfast? Seto’s cook bakes fresh croissants whenever I’m here.” Excitement sipped in Yugi’s voice and Yami chuckled. Yugi had such a sweet tooth.  
As Yugi left Yami’s arms, much to the latter’s disappointment, and went through a drawer for some fresh clothes, Yami questioned him about his closeness to Kaiba. Yugi found a pair of jeans and a clean shirt for himself and threw another shirt at Yami since Yami had no other clothes than the ones he wore. When Yami started changing in front of Yugi, without any embarrassment, Yugi squealed and rushed to the bathroom to change leaving behind an amused Yami laughing with Yugi’s shirt still in his hands. Yugi left the door of the bathroom half opened and explained to Yami how Seto’s latest project had him out of town for days during the past months and how Yugi spent time with Mokuba, often staying over as well. Yami was well aware of Seto and Yugi’s friendship, but Yugi wouldn’t often talk to him about Kaiba since he knew of the tension between the two. 

“When he is around you, he is different.” His voice was even now that he knew Yugi considered Kaiba a family member rather than a possible love interest. “He’s really protective of you.”

Yugi emerged from the bathroom with a soft smile on his face. He walked towards Yami and took his hand in his. “Beneath the scales, a dragon’s skin is soft.” the younger boy said simply, a smile never leaving his lips. 

Yugi would never be able to put in words the warm feeling he felt inside knowing how much his friends cared for him. They had been there in his hours of need and proved over and over how much he meant to them. Yugi felt blessed to have all of them in his life and told Yami of that. 

“They are a bunch of crazies, but they are my family,” Yugi chuckled, and led his boyfriend out of his room. 

“So, if I want to take you out on a date today, then I should ask your family for permission?” Yami teased him, a smile permanently stuck on his face. 

Yugi smiled a Cheshire smile and kept leading him through the corridors towards the room the Kaiba brothers used to have breakfast at. After a certain point, Yami didn’t even need Yugi’s guidance to find the room since the booming voices of Joey and Bakura could clearly be heard along with Marik. 

“Good morning, family.” Yugi cheerfully greeted his friends entering the room with a bemused Yami following him. “I’m pleased to see my croissants are still here.” he continued as he took a seat close to Mokuba with Yami sitting by his side. 

“Good morning, Yugi, Yami. Joey tried to eat them, but I stopped him.” the black haired boy announced with a beaming smile on his lips. 

“Thank you, Moki’,” Yugi petted the young boy and grabbed a croissant, placing it in Yami’s plate before choosing another one. “Try it. I’m telling you the French would be jealous of Mrs. Mizuki’s croissants.” 

Yami wouldn’t be able to argue even if he wanted because Yugi took his own croissant and brought it close to Yami’s lips. “Now that’s how you know it’s love.” Ryou teasingly said. “Yugi never shares his croissants with anyone. He’ll share everything else yes, but not Mrs. Mizuki’s croissants.”

Yugi stuck out his tongue and smiled when Yami bit on the croissant. He went on to finish the same croissant with Yami watching the way his lips moved. 

“Where are Serenity and Tristan?” Yami asked, noticing everywhere there but those two. 

Joey swallowed a rather large bite and told him Serenity needed to return home because their mother needed her and Tristan had volunteered to take her home. Yami raised an eyebrow. He didn’t know much about what his friends did during the last months, but he was certain hell would freeze over before Joey would allow any boy to be alone with his sister, even if that boy was Tristan. Understanding the implication, Joey only commented that a night locked in your room could help anyone see things in a different perspective. Yami decided to leave it at that. 

“Mmm, papa?” Yugi started after swallowing a second croissant, his attention on Seto who looked at him bewildered, “Yami wants to take me on a date today. We need your permission.”

“Why am I your father all of the sudden?” Kaiba asked while Bakura and Marik started laughing. “Wait, does that mean if I say no you won’t go on that date?” Seto added with a smirk directed to Yami.

“Nope.” Yugi answered, his eyes sparkling innocently. “It means I will have to sneak out. I figured getting your permission would spare me the effort.”

“As your big brother, the big bad Bakura, I refuse to let you date this guy.” Bakura said, his voice serious, even though his eyes were full of mirth and mischief. “Who knows what dark and sinful places he will take my innocent little brother to?!”

Yugi turned to Yami arching an eyebrow and the older tricolor haired boy lost no time in joining the game. “How dare you imply I would be anything but a true gentleman courting your little brother? This calls for a duel. If you want to keep your pride, take back your words or duel me.”

Ryou and Yugi started giggling hearing Yami’s words and Bakura looked at him in shock for a while. Then he smirked and stood up. “Choose the place and time, and I’ll duel you. I never back down in front of a challenge.” 

“You know you’ll lose. You always lose.” Yami warned 

him. “Only Yugi has managed to win against me.”

Bakura allowed a fake sigh escape his lips. “That’s true. I guess I’ll have to let you take Yugi out. Then I’ll have to follow you two, secretly, and when you’ll go to the bathroom, corner you there, threaten you scaring the life out of you and make you swear you’ll never harm him in any way, shape, or form.”

“You forgot the part where you punch him on the face just to make sure he got the point.” Marik added helpfully.

Malik, who seemed to have a private conversation with Ryou while Bakura gave his little speech, turned to Yugi. “Or we could all go out together just to make sure Yami behaves,” Yami gave him a nasty look, “and to make sure you two are under the radar until the bitch is down.”

Yugi let down the glass of juice he had just picked up, a dark shadow clouding his face. He had forgotten about Tea. He was finally happy being with Yami and having all his friends around him that he forgot all about Tea and her manipulations. He was against revenge but Tea had taken things too far. Her rumors had harmed not only him but his best friends, and now Yami was her new victim. Mai told him of the new rumor concerning Yami just before she left the party the previous night. 

“I guess you’ve a plan in mind.” Yugi said calmly, his amethyst eyes moving to each face around the table. 

“Don’t we always?” Marik grinned. “Do you think Mai will help? I think we’ll need her.”

“She never liked Tea.” Yugi casually commented, resuming his hold on the glass of juice. 

It was true. Mai had never liked Tea and Tea had never liked Mai. Mai was always affectionate towards Yugi and loved hugging him, something that Tea had never liked. The blonde bombshell always boosted Yugi’s confidence, teaching him how to carry himself with self-assurance, and encouraged him to spread his wings and follow his dreams. Tea’s words of motivation always seemed fake in compare to Mai’s heartwarming words and Tea knew it. 

Yugi knew this was payback not only for what Tea did to him, but also for what she did to his friends. He wanted everyone to be free from the rumors, but he was worried about Yami’s reaction. With everything happening so fast, he didn’t get a chance to tell Yami of Tea’s reasons behind their relationship. Now he knew Yami had never been in love with her, but still Yugi wished he could spare Yami finding out that he was used all along. Suddenly, his appetite was gone. He pushed away his plate and sighed. 

“Before she left yesterday.” Yami started, his eyes focused on Yugi, “Mai told me to take care of you and always be aware of the people around me. I thought her words were strange until Duke asked me the weirdest of questions. He asked me why Tea and her friends always chose to sit somewhere where we could always have a clear view of the gang.” Yugi flinched. “I’ve never noticed it was Tea who wanted us to follow you around. I’d never objected because secretly I enjoyed being close to you.” Yami cupped Yugi’s hand with his own. “I guess I always knew but I never put two and two together. Maybe I didn’t want to see the truth.” Yugi turned to face his boyfriend, a look of guilt on his beautiful face. “Tea told me she was interested in another when we broke up but she didn’t say who. I should have known better. She always wanted us to sit under the Sakura tree so she could have her eyes on you. She was in a foul mood whenever a girl would come and ask you out. She was upset during this whole plan thing too.” 

Everyone had their eyes on Yami wondering what he would say next. They knew it wasn’t Yugi’s fault what Tea had done and there was no reason for the young boy to feel guilty, but they also knew it couldn’t be nice for Yami to understand he was used as a toy; a way to break Yugi’s spirit enough to have him crawl into Tea’s arms.

“Bakura and Marik tried to warn me about Tea, but I couldn’t believe there was so much deceit behind that innocent façade.” Yami continued, his eyes never leaving Yugi’s sad amethyst orbs. “I understand now she never cared about me, but tell me, Yugi, if she wanted you, why did she choose me?”

“It’s my fault.” Yugi’s voice broke, his eyes reflecting the turmoil inside him. Was he to have Yami’s love only for a night? Would he lose him for being the reason why Tea played with him? 

“Yugi Muto, don’t you dare take the blame for that girl’s twisted games.” Malik raised his voice, angry for the first time in the presence of Yami. He had been nothing but a teasing cheerful bubble bee throughout the night and morning, but now there was a dangerous edge in his voice. “That’s what she does, Yugi. She plays with people as if they are her dolls. You just happen to be her favorite doll. Hardly a reason why you should feel guilty.”

“You didn’t know, Yugi. None of us knew until Bakura heard that phone call,” Ryou said softly, his chocolate brown eyes communicating with Yugi in such a way that rendered words useless. Yugi knew that Ryou was there for him. 

Yugi considered Joey a real brother but he knew Ryou and Malik could understand him in a way no one else could. The three boys could feel each other’s emotions, they were each other’s comfort and secret power. They were balls of light, each burning in a different way yet together they created a silent force that people didn’t want to go against.  
“Yugi,” Yami called softly his boyfriend’s name, “I don’t think it’s your fault. I just can’t understand how her mind works.”

“I would be worried if you did.” Seto decided to intervene; not liking the direction the conversation seemed to take. “Look, Sennen,” his calculating blue eyes pinned the tricolor haired boy to his seat, “that girl has a twisted way of showing her interest. She was willing to break Yugi into tiny pieces thinking that afterwards she would pick them up and create the perfect version of him for her to claim as hers.”

A look of disgust crossed Yami’s face as Bakura shared with him what he heard that day after school. “So that’s how it was.”

Yugi ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. “Tea asked me out last year.” he confessed. He had never told anyone about it. “She asked me to the school’s roof and told me she wanted to go out with me. I was surprised she liked me that way but told her I couldn’t date her and asked her if we could stay friends. She recovered quite quickly and said it was alright. She asked if we could keep it between us and I agreed. No one else needed to know. When she asked you out,” he continued turning towards Yami, “I thought the reason why she asked me out was because you and I were always together. I never thought she would use you to get to me.” He paused, his eyes searching for something in Yami’s eyes. “Tristan told me about how Tea knew of my feelings towards you. When she started taking you away from our friends and me, I became worried. I tried to talk to you, but she wouldn’t let me. Then the rumors and notes started.” 

“My maid found a threatening note in your room when you stayed over that night. Was it from Tea?” Kaiba questioned him. Yugi sighed saying it was either her or one of her friends. “Was the threat for you?” Yugi shook his head.

“If she wasn’t threatening you, then…” Realization hit Yami hard. “It was me, right? That’s why you stopped trying to talk to me. She threatened me.” Yugi looked away. “What could she do to me, angel?”

Yugi smiled bitterly. “Ruin your reputation, break your heart, make you hate me even more…she could hurt you.” Yugi whispered, recalling the words Yami used against him after Tea’s rumors. “I don’t know what she could do and that’s what scared me. I thought she loved you. I thought she saw me as a rival. So, I decided the wisest thing was to stay away.”

Yami pulled Yugi out of his chair and on his lap, holding him close to him. Tea had hurt more than his pride playing her little game. She had hurt his angel. It stung that he was used, but it hurt more that if that wicked girl hadn’t played with him, he would have had Yugi in his arms months ago, and Yugi wouldn’t have to live in fear, alone, without him.

“Count me in.” Yami said, his eyes on Marik and Bakura, a wicked look making his eyes look dangerous. “Tea’s going down.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, guys. Yami finally knows everything about Tea and her evil schemes. The girl is so obsessed she cannot see how twisted her mind is. Unfortunately, there are people like this around us, and we sometimes don’t recognize their intentions before it’s too late.  
> I’m currently working on Chapter 14 (I just need to go through some details) but I believe it won’t be uploaded before the end of the month.  
> Your reviews and PMs would be much appreciated and helpful since this story is almost done and yet it keeps involving as my writing keeps involving too.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The notorious Chapter 14 is finally here. I’m sorry it took me so long to update but many things happened. I can just say that Chapter 15 is half finished, so I haven’t abandoned the story.   
> I want to thank Sky King Haruka Tenoh for going through my story and making sure everything is fine and Demon Lionka, my own Bakura, for offering her comments and helping me fix some awkward parts as well as encouraging me to work on the story and making me laugh.  
> I also want to thank all the people who took the time to leave a review and make me smile. Thank you, everyone.  
> Yesterday it was Yugi’s birthday so I dedicate this chapter to him 

Chapter 14:

A soft breeze caused the leaves on the trees to shudder as a bunch of students dressed in their blue and pink uniforms passed by. Several of them paused to look at the slow dance the leaves performed before gracefully landing on the ground, but the leaves’ intricate dance didn’t faze the brown-haired girl with faded blue eyes that were fixated on the young boy approaching the school gates. He was finally there. Even better, he was early and all alone. None of his annoying little friends were there to bother her. The girl smiled. He would be hers before any of them could intervene. With a grin, she leaned on the wall by the gates waiting for him.

“Good morning, Yugi.” the girl greeted the boy taking notice of his downcast eyes.

Upon hearing his name, the boy looked up. “Oh, Tea, it’s you.” Yugi seemed distracted. “Good morning.” 

He moved to walk past her, but she grabbed his arm. “I want…no, I need to talk to you.” Tea’s voice had a broken quality that she kept rehearsing in front of the mirror throughout the weekend. “Please.”

Yugi simply nodded, still looking distracted. Tea didn’t like that but she didn’t say anything about it. Honestly it could have been worse. Yugi could have refused talking to her after what she had done. The fact Yugi was okay with hearing her out made her feel even more confident about her plan. Yugi compliantly followed her through the gates and to a quiet place where they could talk.

“Why did you come alone today?” Tea asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. She needed to know if any of those disgusting suitors would appear to bother her. “I thought Seto would be bringing you to school?” she continued her questioning, using Kaiba’s first name as if he was a repulsive insect. 

A pained expression crossed Yugi’s face so fast, Tea thought she imagined it. “Kaiba was… busy. I don’t think he’d be bringing me to school from now on.”

Kaiba. No more Seto. Tea fought hard to suppress a victorious smile. One down. “I’m sorry to hear that, Yugi. If it makes you feel better, I know how it feels for someone who you thought that was nice to turn against you.” Yugi looked at her with his big amethyst eyes full of wonderment and Tea momentarily forgot how to breathe. “What about the rest of the gang? You’re not usually alone.” 

The gang was always around Yugi and she couldn’t understand how she’s got so lucky to get him alone. She had planned to ask for a private talk even in their presence but just in case they wouldn’t let him talk to her, a letter, a love letter, was neatly folded in her schoolbag as a means to isolate him from the others. She would just need to slip it in his locker. She knew from experience that Yugi would appear at the meeting point, even just to let down the sender. 

“Joey and Tristan told me they’d be a bit late. I haven’t heard from Ryou but you know he’s usually late because of Bakura.” Yugi whispered, anxiously looking around. “Ryou’s polite manners don’t allow him to let Bakura sleep in since they live in the same area, so he always ends up coming last minute. Sometimes I think Bakura does it on purpose to taunt Ryou.” The boy seemed to mumble as if he wanted to stretch the subject as much as possible. “It’s funny how they’re still friends.”

Tea arched an eyebrow at the comment. She had hinted to the cheerleaders at some point that Malik was probably seeing Ryou too behind Marik’s back, but the girls seemed to think Bakura and Ryou were way too close to be just friends. If she hadn’t been so scared of Bakura, she would have thrown his name in the mix too, but she decided to leave both white haired boys alone. Ryou had always been kind to her and she was fine to let the boy out of her plans. Even when Joey and Tristan hinted he was interested in Yugi, she didn’t worry. He was no competition to her.

“What about Malik?” Tea asked next. The Egyptian boy and his lover were the ones she had to worry about the most. Even thinking about the vile things they wanted to do to Yugi made her sick. “Malik…”

“I don’t know where he is.” Yugi quickly said, interrupting her. His eyes trailed towards the direction of the gates, his face a mask of worry and pain. “You wanted to talk to me.” He said after a moment of silence, trying to regain control of his emotions. “I stayed away from Yami as you asked. What do you want from me this time, Tea?” he asked, his voice revealing how tired he was.

The girl’s mind took in all the information Yugi unintentionally provided her with. His unwillingness to talk about Malik and the uneasiness he felt meant something had happened between the two boys. Had Malik tried to seduce Yugi making the boy uncomfortable? Tea assumed that’s probably what happened. Malik had dug his own grave, his lover sharing the same fate as well. They were all out of her way. Luck couldn’t have favored her more. Yugi had even given her a good way to start her tale.

“Yugi,” Tea whispered the boy’s name, moving closer to him, “that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I’m sorry, Yugi. I’m so sorry!” She stopped for emphasis, her blue eyes on Yugi’s amethyst ones. “I didn’t want things to be this way. It’s all my fault too! I thought that if you would see me with Yami you would get jealous and love me. I was so foolish.”   
“You knew I would talk to Yami that day. How could you do this to me, Tea?” Yugi asked. His voice still carried that tired tone but his eyes were full of puzzlement as if her words confused him beyond measurement. 

“I always loved you, Yugi. I knew you couldn’t like Yami that way. You couldn’t!” Tea grabbed Yugi’s hand, her eyes full of tears of frustration she hoped Yugi would pass for tears of sadness. “And then, I couldn’t escape that relationship. He wouldn’t let me! I was scared, Yugi. You must believe me!”

Yugi didn’t back away when she reached for his hand, but he remained silent as Tea continued to spin her lie. He simply raised his other hand and wiped away her tears. “I didn’t, Tea. I didn’t like Yami.” His words came softly to caress the girl. “I was actually in love with him. I still am.” He whispered, his lips shaping a smile.

Tea felt someone passing by her and her eyes widen when she saw Yami. The crimson-eyed boy didn’t even bother with her, a smirk plastered on his face as he walked to the younger boy and pulled him into a possessive embrace. Tea’s eyes took in the scene, waiting for Yugi to push Yami away but instead the younger boy pulled down his crimson-eyed boyfriend into a soft kiss that Yami was more than happy to reciprocate. 

“YOU!” Tea screamed, her anger erasing any trace of softness from her face. Her finger was pointing at Yami as if he was a disgusting creature that dared to show its face in front of her. “Stay away from him! Yugi is mine!”

Not bothering to answer before he had thoroughly enjoyed his kiss, Yami ignored her until he felt Yugi’s soft lips withdrawing. Only then he turned to face the delusional girl. “He was never yours. He’ll never be yours. If I have it my way, he’ll be mine forever.”

Yugi felt as if Yami’s words were a warm blanket wrapping itself around him after a cold day out. His amethyst eyes sparkled with happiness and his hand found its way in his boyfriend’s hand. Together, as a united front, they faced Tea who was still trying to wrap her head around what had happened. How could Yami have gotten so close to Yugi when she had made sure their friendship was ruined forever? How could Yami have deceived Yugi so easily after all she had done?

“Whatever he told you, Yugi, it’s a lie! He’s nothing but a liar.” Tea tried, her only hope being to deceive her loved one, to turn his faith towards her. “You’ve known me since we were kids, Yugi. Long before he appeared in your life, I was the only one by your side.” She took a step closer towards the young boy, tensing when Yami wrapped his arms around Yugi once again. “We were best friends long before he appeared. I was there when the other kids bullied you. I would tell them off, remember?” Yugi’s eyes were on her. “We were dance partners, remember? You’d always help me rehearse for my dancing lessons and even took me to some of the parties. All the girls were jealous of me because I had you as my partner.” She smiled at the memory, remembering how her classmates would complain about their graceless partners while hers was as charming and graceful as a prince charming could be. “He wanted to keep you away from me. All these years, don’t think I didn’t see how he’d always try to touch you; how he always wanted your attention. I thought if I turned his attention to me, you’d be free from his spell and you’d recognize I was all you wanted. I know you wanted me, Yugi.”

Yugi’s amethyst eyes shone with sadness. “I once thought I loved you, Tea. I was charmed by your gentle words and friendship speeches. Now I wonder if any of those words were ever true.” His voice was a soft sigh, his mind unable to understand how such a nice girl could turn into this person. Deep inside he hoped his old friend was somewhere in there. “What happened to you, Tea?”

Yami pulled Yugi closer, his embrace remaining as possessive as before. He didn’t like the way the girl was looking at his boyfriend, he didn’t like how Yugi’s kind heart demanded to give Tea another chance. He had heard her attempts to lie to the younger boy, her attempts to take him away from him. Holding Yugi close to his body ensured him that the boy knew he was there for him and prevented him from attacking the lying girl.

“What happened to me? Yugi, they’ve corrupted you. You can’t possibly be in love with him.” Tea hissed, her finger pointing towards the crimson-eyed boy once again. “Those friends of yours only want to corrupt your light. They all desire you. They want to toy with your mind, heart, and body. No one loves you the way I do!” She took a step towards the two boys, furious that Yugi seemed to be so content in Yami’s arms. “He’ll use you too, Yugi! He’ll use you the same way he used me!”

Yugi tensed in Yami’s embrace. The older boy looked down at his boyfriend, worried. “How did he use you?” Yugi whispered, a soft tremble audible in his voice.

Tea trying to suppress a smile. Now was her chance to weave her tale and pull her prize out of her opponent’s arms. “I told you it was a mistake trying to be with him, Yugi. I didn’t know how great a mistake until it was too late. He’s abusive, Yugi!” Her voice broke once again with the easiness of an actress who had rehearsed her lines a thousand times. “He threatened me. He would hurt me if I left him. He’d often hurt me because I wanted to talk to you. I had to be mean to you so he wouldn’t hurt me, but I didn’t want to, Yugi. Please, believe me.”

Yugi kept his eyes on her, while Yami’s hold of him loosened, the older boy’s hands clenched in anger hearing the lies the girl spat with such ease. How could he have been in a relationship with such a snake for so long? How could he have ever considered this girl was a kind person? How could he have chosen her over his angel?

“Come with me, Yugi. Don’t let him separate us once again. Don’t make the same mistake I did. I know deep inside you love me too.” Tea called for Yugi, her hand extending for the amethyst eyed boy to take. “He’ll only hurt you. He never really trusted you, Yugi. Remember how easily he hurt you that day. He had everything planned. He was the one behind all the notes, behind the rumors.” She took a step closer to the two boys, her hand still reaching out. “He doesn’t love you, Yugi. He only wants to use you. He broke you so he could be able to fix you. He only lusts after you. He’ll hurt you, Yugi. Only I can love you like you deserve to be loved.”

Yugi couldn’t stop the trembling rage that coursed through him as he took in the face of the girl he had once called his friend. He had tried to give her one last chance to redeem herself. If she had only apologized for what she had done, he would have forgiven her. Deep inside he knew she wouldn’t confess to what she had done, but a part of him wanted to believe it wasn’t too late for her. So, he had asked his friends to let him handle it as discreetly as possible so it would end without them needing to go through with their plans. He had let her believe her plan was working as Yami had suggested. He had wanted to openly confront her at first but Malik kept insisting that simply talking to her wouldn’t do. He had tried to break her delusions by showing her how much he loved Yami. He had to surprise her, throw her off her rehearsed steps. 

The young boy had finally understood there was nothing left from the girl he once considered his friend. “I wanted to believe there is still good in you, but you proved me wrong. Yami was never abusive. I know you were behind all these notes and all the rumors about my friends, and I can’t believe you did all these things because I rejected you. I didn’t love you then and I don’t love you now, Tea. I was always in love with Yami and that won’t change.”

A pair of arms wrapped itself around him, spinning him once again to face their owner’s face. Crimson eyes met amethyst pools. A wide proud smile, a smile that showed all the love and adoration of its owner for the young boy, was plastered on Yami’s face as he pulled Yugi in a soft kiss. 

“I love you.” Yami whispered on Yugi’s lips as he kissed him again.

The sound of multiple hands clapping filled the air, but neither of the tricolor haired boys seemed to care. They knew well enough that their friends had finally joined them. Too lost in their own world, they continued to kiss, effectively ignoring the seething girl who wasn’t even fazed by the gang’s arrival. 

“Get away from him!” Tea screamed, pulling Yugi out of Yami’s arms, her hand a tight grip on Yugi’s shoulder. Even after Yugi’s little speech, she wasn’t about to give up. “I won’t let you hurt him!”

“That’s enough, Tea!” Yami’s voice was cold like ice. “We all had enough of your lying.” He couldn’t believe she was still under the illusion Yugi would ever believe such a pathetic lie.

Tea didn’t even flinch at his voice. It was as if he wasn’t even there anymore so she simply pulled Yugi tighter towards her, her hand an iron grip on his shoulder. She started pulling him towards the school; the gang obviously an obstacle she was determined to ignore. Yugi wondered how Tea’s grip could be that strong as he struggled against it trying to force his way back to Yami’s side. Tea noticed Yami moving towards the struggling boy in her grasp and tried to pull him further away, but in her attempt to pull Yugi away from Yami, her right leg got entangled with Yugi’s left one, and she slipped causing both of them to fall on the hard pavement with her landing heavily on top of the younger boy.  
Yami rushed to his boyfriend’s side and pushed Tea away with little regard for her injuries. His eyes turned dangerously dark as he took in Yugi’s pained expression. A groan of pain alerted him to Tea’s attempt to stand up, and vaguely he could hear Malik cursing as Marik tried to restrain his boyfriend and himself from attacking Tea, but he was too focused on Yugi to care about the annoying girl or his friends’ struggles. 

“Are you alright, little one?” he asked, his voice full of the concern he felt for his boyfriend. 

“Y…yes…I think I’m f…” Yugi started as he tried to stand up with Yami’s help, before a soft whimper escaped his lips. “Ow!” Unable to support his weight, Yugi leaned on Yami’s arms. “I…I think I twisted my ankle.”

The face of a very worried Malik appeared in his view as Yami picked him up, bridal style. “You should take him to the clinic, Yami.” 

Yami nodded, his eyes still dark with anger, but his touch on his angel was soft as a feather. The gang moved to the side allowing them to pass, but Yami could clearly see anger and concern mixing in their faces. Malik was the first to follow him after he whispered something to his boyfriend, with Ryou, Joey, and Tristan soon to follow. No one cared about Tea’s complaining as the bell signaling the beginning of the lessons covered her whining. 

“What about me? I need some help here!” Tea whimpered even though her leg was only a bit scraped since Yugi had served to cushion her fall; it still hurt terribly much.

Marik and Bakura waited until their boyfriends were gone before they approached the girl, similar mocking smiles of compassion sported on their faces. Only those two and Kaiba had stayed behind.

Bakura gave Kaiba a questioning look and when the other one nodded, he turned his attention back to the brown haired girl. “Does it hurt?” he asked, his voice sounding cruel, even though he was trying to show some compassion. 

“Of course, it hurts!” Tea yelled, her hand reaching for her leg, touching the scratches. “If Yugi wasn’t there, I would have-”

She didn’t have the chance to finish her words since a sharp pain made her scream. Bakura was stepping on her ankle, his foot pushing it into an angle she didn’t think quite normal. “Not enough!” The white haired boy growled through his teeth. “You don’t feel enough pain, not as much as Yugi does.”

Again and again, Bakura’s foot came in contact with Tea’s ankle until Kaiba touched his shoulder. Tea’s screams had turned a bit too loud for his liking and he didn’t want them to attract anyone’s attention. Bakura instantly pulled back with a satisfied smile and signaled for Marik to take over. The Egyptian smiled sardonically as he leaned down and without great effort lifted the girl into his arms. 

“Put me down!” she screeched, her heart full of fear seeing Marik’s smile. “Where are you taking me?” She fought hard to keep the tears out of her eyes as her ankle hurt very much. 

“To the clinic, of course! We can’t leave you here, all alone, hurting, now can we?” Marik’s smile became even wider, even scarier. “Oh, and if you think you can tell the nurse or anyone else anything but the truth, well…our truth, then you will suffer even more pain.”

Tea gulped, but tried to be courageous. “I’m not afraid of you. As soon as I tell the nurse, she’ll tell the principal, and you’ll be expelled.”

Marik looked at her and then without a warning, dropped her like a sack of potatoes. The girl landed on her bottom, feeling her whole body shaking. Tears welled in her blue eyes as a hissing sound escaped her lips.

“Demon!” Her voice echoed in the empty corridors. “I hate you! I hate you so much!” She tried to stand up, but her leg gave away forcing her to let out a pained cry. “You and your stupid boyfriend deserve everything that happened to you. You are monsters, disgusting monsters!”

“What happened to us?” Marik asked, a bored expression having replaced his sarcastic one. “Everything is fine in our lives.”

A terrible smile replaced Tea’s pained expression. “Your Malik is thought of as the school’s number one whore, and you think that’s fine?” She laughed, crazed by the pain and pushed by the adrenaline rushing through her veins. “I had so much fun destroying his reputation. He had no business being so close to my Yugi! I enjoyed feeding each rumor to the brainless cheerleaders and fangirls.” Her eyes turned dark with hate as she took in Marik’s form, still smiling. “You say everything is fine, but if Yugi hadn’t appeared that day your boyfriend would have been nothing but a broken toy for you to play with.” Her smile turned into a growl. “Yugi was almost hurt because of him!” 

Marik’s eyes sparkled dangerously but he managed to keep his expression neutral. “Oh?”

“I’m talking about Ushio, of course.” Tea simply stated. “He wanted a piece of the school’s bitch so he followed Malik home. I can only imagine what he had in mind. But Yugi noticed him stalking your boy-toy and made it his mission that Malik would never walk to or from school alone. He made sure someone was always with him.” She stopped, her distaste for the whole thing obvious in her tense body. “Yugi even confronted Ushio one day after school. He told that gorilla that he had evidence he was stalking Malik. He threatened him to take those evidence to the police. If that gorilla had understood Yugi’s ‘evidence of stalking’ were non-existent, Yugi would have been seriously hurt!!! Bullies are known to be huge cowards but Ushio could have reacted violently.” 

Before Tea could take a breath to recover from her hateful speech, she found herself pinned on a wall with Marik’s face inches from hers. Her heartbeat quickened as fear finally took over. She hadn’t meant to say all these things or anger the psychotic boy. She was just in pain, tired, and angry at seeing how Yugi would never be hers now. A part of her was full of pride for all she had done and wanted the world to know, but she knew no one should know, especially them. 

“You’re telling me that my boyfriend was almost attacked and he and Yugi were in danger because of the rumors you spread around the school? You’re telling me that you knew Ushio was stalking Malik and yet you didn’t tell anyone? That’s what you’re telling me, Tea Gardner?” 

Marik’s voice was way too calm for things to be okay and Tea knew it. Slowly, scared for her life, she nodded her head. 

“Answer me!” Marik growled loudly.

“Yes!” Tea screamed, as her back was pinned harder on the wall. “I wanted him out of the way because he wanted Yugi! He was the one who would always try the hardest to have Yugi’s attention, and I couldn’t have Yugi be a homosexual’s love interest! I don’t understand what Yugi saw in him or in any of you!” Her eyes were filled with tears of frustration and pain. “It was fine when it was just us. Then he started collecting you like he collected those dueling cards of his and I couldn’t get rid of you no matter what. Everyone thought that you kept him safe and he was lucky to have you all, but he did so many little things to make all of you happy and you kept taking and taking and taking.” She glanced at Bakura and Kaiba with so much hate that if looks could kill they would have died on the spot. “I knew you fed on his light like leeches, even Kaiba.” Her eyes pierced Kaiba communicating to him something that made him lose the cold expression he had managed to keep. “You know what I mean, Seto Kaiba!”

Understanding that neither Marik nor Kaiba would be able to stay in control of their emotions for long, Bakura decided to intervene. “Even though I would prefer to take a dying snake to the clinic than this thing, we need to get going.” His words seemed unable to reach Marik who was struggling to keep his composure and not use Tea’s face to paint the wall red. “I want to check on Yugi as soon as possible. I’m sure Malik and Joey are quite worried too.” he added, each word spoken with deliberated emphasis in order to break through the boys’ haze. 

The mention of their boyfriends’ names as well as Yugi’s seemed to do the trick as Marik let Tea fall on the corridor’s dirty floor. The girl tried to pull away from him but she couldn’t escape his murderous look. 

“You’ll pay for this, Tea Gardner, by losing everything you hold dear.” the Egyptian whispered in her ear before he pulled away from her, allowing Bakura to pick her up as he had done before and take her to the clinic without making another stop. 

 

Author’s note: Chapter 15 will probably be a really long chapter so just wait for it. So…what do you think of what happened in this chapter?


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone must remind me to update my story here too!
> 
> Hello, everyone. I know it’s been a while since I’ve updated this story, but it’s not dropped. It’s just I am super busy lately, plus Chapter 16 gives me such a hard time. Still, I will complete this story for sure.  
> I want to thank my beta, Sky King Haruka Tenoh, for going through this chapter. Thank you! And of course all the readers who take the time to leave some lines for me to read.  
> Without further delay, read to check on Yugi, see Kaiba being his amazing self, and get more involved into the Tea craziness.

Chapter 15:

Deep amethyst eyes let themselves to be drowned in crimson pools as a shot of pain made them tear up. The nurse was as gentle as possible as she examined the young boy's ankle but Yugi still had to distract himself in order not to feel the pain. From outside the nurse’s office he could hear his friends' murmurs, but he couldn't make out their words. So, he simply focused on the sensation of Yami's hand. 

"Good news, Mr. Mutou. Your ankle isn't broken, but it’s sprained. I'm going to give you an ice pack to hold there for a bit and then wrap it for you, but even though it may hurt for a while, if you don't push yourself, you will be fine in no time." the nurse raffled Yugi's hair, earning a pout from the young boy. "Maybe this young gentleman that hasn't let you out of his sight all this time will make sure you will be careful." she teased, her green eyes sparkling with the smile her lips shaped. 

Yugi had always liked the nurse; the elder woman reminded him of his grandmother. He just didn't particularly like the nurse’s office even though it was a clean room that the nurse had brightly decorated in warm colors, adding some of her own plants to make it more welcoming. The young boy would often pass by the office to greet the old woman, but ending up in one of its beds was really low in his list of favorite things to do. 

"Don't worry, Mrs. Setsou. I'll make sure that he won't put any pressure on it." Yami reassured her, his eyes full of mischief. 

Yugi would have complained if it wasn't that Yami had been restless since the moment Yugi had been injured. It was crystal clear that Yugi’s discomfort was the only thing that kept the older tricolor haired from seeking the brunette who was the cause of his boyfriend’s pain. Yugi needed him to stay there with him. Deep inside Yami knew that seeing Tea before he had his anger under control would’ve been a problem that could potentially ruin their plans. So, he stayed by his boyfriend’s side, wincing when the younger boy winced and ignoring his friends’ attempts to see what was going on in the room. 

The gang with the exception of Bakura, Marik, and Kaiba, who had stayed back in order to deal with Tea, refused to go to their class before they were sure Yugi was perfectly fine. The nurse had given Joey and Malik a hard glance when they demanded to be let inside the room and if Ryou’s soft manners and politeness hadn’t won the nurse, they would have both been sent away the moment Malik raised his voice. 

“There you are! Just remember to replace the bandage once a day, and rub your ankle with pain relieving cream. And try to take it easy.” the nurse instructed Yugi, her kind eyes taking in how Yami’s head was turned toward her, carefully listening to her instructions. “Would you like to…?” She stopped suddenly as a loud shriek was heard, echoing in the empty corridor outside the office. “What in the world was that?”

A minute later, a tall white haired boy, a more menacing look-alike to the white haired angel that was Yugi’s friend, entered the nurse’s office carrying in his arms a brunette who seemed to be in great pain. Her face was exceptionally pale and dark circles were shaped beneath her blue eyes. The white haired boy unceremoniously threw the girl on the bed as if he couldn’t wait to be rid of her and wiped his hands on his pants. The nurse raised an eyebrow when she saw another boy of Egyptian origins, suspiciously similar in looks to the rude boy who waited outside the room, entering the office before her instincts as a nurse took over and she started asking questions.

“What happened?” 

Before the brunette could answer, Bakura started talking. “This is Tea Gardner, the one who tripped Yugi.” Tea was about to interrupt but a look by the Egyptian boy silenced her. “She fussed and screamed when we offered to bring her here. She seemed in pain and kept touching her leg. We couldn’t possibly leave her there.” Bakura tried to give his best innocent look at the nurse who didn’t seem to buy it yet ushered him to continue. “My friend here picked her up, but she kept screaming and fighting him, I really have no idea why. She actually ended up biting him which resulted in him letting her fall. We both regret that, but you can understand how much that bite hurt.” Bakura motioned to Marik who obediently moved aside his uniform’s collar to show the nurse a nasty bite. “We are afraid the fall may have injured her further.”

“You’re liars! Filthy liars!” Tea shrieked, her eyes full of hate. “You’re the ones that did this to me! You deserved that bite!” Even though she didn’t regret giving him that bite, she was disgusted that it was used against her.

The nurse didn’t give Bakura or Marik a chance to answer her. “Miss Gardner, this is a place for patients to heal and rest so please keep your tone down. We have other students here that need to rest.” she reprimanded her, her hand showing her the other ‘patient’.

Tea visibly relaxed at seeing Yugi. She knew that regardless of what had happened between them, Yugi wouldn’t let anyone hurt her—he was never one for violence or lies. He wouldn’t let Bakura or Marik hurt her again. Then, her eyes met a pair of crimson orbs that were filled with so much hatred for her that Tea had to turn away. Feeling the pain intensifying and tears gathering in her eyes, she yelped when gentle fingers touched her leg. 

“Try to stay still, Miss Gardner.” the nurse’s hands moved knowingly around Tea’s leg moving all the way down to her ankle which caused Tea to let out a scream, before they started examining the rest of her body after pulling a white curtain around the bed. “Let me help you lift your top. I need to see your back.” 

The examination continued for another couple of minutes until the nurse was sure there were no other injuries on the girl’s body. The old woman helped Tea lay down and announced that she seemed to have some bruises, probably from the two falls, and possibly a broken ankle. She wanted the girl to visit a hospital as well because the equipment she had there weren’t suitable to fully determine the damage to said ankle, and if anything else was broken. 

“I need to call your parents. I believe I have a pair of crutches somewhere around here that you can borrow until you get your own, and believe me you’ll need them for the next few weeks.” the nurse offered kindly.

“The next few weeks?! That’s not possible! I have a performance in ten days.” Tea wined, despair filling her voice. “I can’t possibly miss it. My dance school has some important guests that will be giving scholarships to the best dancers based on our performances that day!” 

Tea could see her dream career crumbling in front of her eyes. A broken ankle meant she had to step down from being the first dancer in her dancing classes’ performance, not to mention she had to stop dancing for weeks. She couldn’t stay out of that performance. She had worked so hard for it. And she couldn’t possibly allow Alicia, that sickly sweet girl, replace her and steal her dream. 

“YOU!” she pointed her finger toward Bakura. “MONSTER!!! You’ll pay! I swear you’ll pay! All of you’ll pay for what you’ve done to me”.

Tea couldn’t control herself anymore. She had done so many things to make sure Yugi would be hers only to have Yami snatch him away from her, and now her future as a prima ballerina could be ruined by the injury she had suffered in the hands of those savages. She couldn’t admit defeat. They would pay dearly for all the pain they had caused her. She would make sure that they would be punished. 

“Miss Gardner-” the nurse started, but Tea interrupted her.

“I want to see the principal. These savages must be expelled. This white-haired demon is the one that broke my ankle and the Egyptian trash pinned me on the wall, hurting me, threatening me in order not to say a thing. And Kaiba-”

“I was there to see and hear everything.” Seto’s voice filled the nurse’s office as the young man entered the room, hanging up his phone and placing it in his coat’s pocket. 

“Seto!” Yugi’s happy voice didn’t go unnoticed by Yami who raised an eyebrow. Yugi smiled sheepishly back at his boyfriend and Yami squeezed his boyfriend’s hand, reassuringly.

The nurse recognized the brown haired boy as the infamous Seto Kaiba. She knew that he used to be one of the school’s students, even though he had never graduated from there, choosing home schooling as the means to finish school earlier than the rest of his classmates for the sake of his company. The old woman could see that what was unfolding in front of her eyes was more than a simple accident. She was curious to know exactly what had happened, and how the tricolor haired cutie was involved. She had the distinct feeling that he was in the center of that storm since everyone was so protective of him. Still, she couldn’t allow the bunch to scream in her office as if it were a stadium or something.

“I would like to remind you that this is a nurse’s office. You should all keep your voices down, or I will have to kick you all out. As for you, Mr. Mutou,” Yugi cringed seeing her eyes turning toward him and the nurse’s voice immediately softened, “you’ll have to do without your friends if you continue to be so energetic.” 

Yugi felt his cheeks go red from being scolded, even so mildly. “I understand, Mrs. Setsou.”

“Now, I believe you should all, with the exception of Mr. Mutou and Miss Gardner, return to your classes. I’ll give to the ones who missed the first period slips to excuse your absence from class. That goes for you too, Mr. Sennen.” the nurse said with authority. This was her kingdom after all. 

“I had the first period free.” Yami informed her, not taking his eyes from his boyfriend. “So did Bakura and Marik.” He pointed at the two boys. “But thank you.”

The nurse acknowledged his words and turned to Kaiba. “As for you, Mr. Kaiba, I’m not sure what your part in this incident is but maybe you should talk to the principal about what you claim to have seen and heard. I need to inform him of Miss Gardner’s injuries and call her parents so if you could please wait outside.” Her voice was professional, not allowing herself to be intimidated by the stern look on Kaiba’s face. After all he was only a boy. 

For a moment none of them moved. Kaiba gave the nurse a calculating look which the nurse returned. Yugi sighed softly, seeing that none of his friends would leave before Tea’s matter was dealt with.

“Mrs. Setsou, please, allow my friends to stay. There is something-.”

“What’s going on here?” A new voice was heard and everyone turned to look at the grey haired man that had entered the office. “Dolores, I’ll take over now.” He addressed the nurse who simply nodded.

“As you wish, Principal Katsu.”

The principal, a man well on his sixties with clever grey eyes, turned his attention to Kaiba. “Mr. Kaiba, your visits after you left our school are a rarity. I believe you can explain to me what’s going on here. Two of my students are injured, the nurse’s office is filled with students who should have been in their classes, and I’ve just received a phone call from you informing me that you’re here to talk to me about an important matter. I’d like some answers.”

Kaiba gave him a firm smile and his eyes glimmered seeing how the principal tried to pretend he wasn’t intimidated by him. In all honesty, the man wasn’t a bad guy. He ran the school rather smoothly, always encouraging his students to do their best. When Seto was a student there, the principal had been lenient when it came to his work-related absences. That was one of the main reasons why Seto hadn’t completely severed all ties with his old school when he left. Of course he had other reasons too; reasons which would finally come in hand in the situation with that deranged girl. Gardner was a goner.

“I’ll be quick about it because time is money and I don’t like wasting it,” Seto started, his voice controlled, his eyes guarded. “I’m here to bring a certain situation to your attention, Mr. Katsu. This situation concerns the Gardner girl as well as Yugi Muto and Malik Ishtar.”

Hearing his name being called, Malik poked his head in the nurse’s office. “Shouldn’t Mr. Muto and Mr. Ishtar’s guardians be here on their behalf then? How are you involved, Mr. Kaiba?” The principal spoke first, not allowing Malik to talk. A headache had already started plaguing the old man seeing how this was going to be a long day.

“Yugi’s grandfather has authorized me to handle this situation as I see fit,” Kaiba produced a legal document and handed it to the principal. “As for the Ishtar boy, his sister will be here soon. I’ve already called her and luckily she had the morning off.”

The principal wore his glasses and started reading the document. He wasn’t surprised to find that it was legit. He just needed some time to control his thoughts. He knew Solomon Muto very well since both of them shared an interest in Egyptology and often attended conferences together. As for Ishizu Ishtar, she was the museum’s curator and very well known for her work. If Solomon felt that Kaiba and his lawyers were the best choice of action for this specific situation, the principal was sure that this matter was far from something trivial. 

“Let’s wait for Ms. Ishtar then. Meanwhile,” he turned his attention to the nurse, “Dolores, if you could please call my secretary and ask her to inform Miss Gardner’s parents that they need to come too, I’d appreciate it. Not only does this situation concern their daughter but she’s also injured and needs medical care. Until they’re here, please try to help the girl as much as possible. Mr. Muto, what about you? Are you alright?”

It was obvious that the man was trying really hard to maintain some of his authority while being thrown in a room with Seto Kaiba and dealing with a situation he had no knowledge of. Yugi felt bad for him and reassured him he was perfectly fine and that Mrs. Setsou had done her job exceptionally well. A gentle smile graced the nurse’s face hearing the boy’s words and the principal couldn’t help but be reminded of his mother; Chiru Muto had been an exceptionally well-mannered and gentle girl and Principal Katsu had been deeply saddened when he’d heard of her death.

Meanwhile, the room had filled up since the boys that had been standing outside the nurse’s office all this time, had walked inside. As the nurse busied herself with the call, the principal tried to understand the dynamics of the group. In the room, he counted nine of his current students. And there was of course his former student, Seto Kaiba who didn’t give anything away. His hard blue eyes were mainly on him as if he was willing him to pick up what was wrong. He had implied that he was there on business and wanted this situation done as soon as possible, yet he didn’t seem to be in a hurry. That surprised the principal a bit since his previous dealings with the businessman had left him feeling Kaiba had no time to waste. Why was he so interested in Muto? What was his relationship with the Muto family?

The man’s clever eyes turned to the blonde guy who had unceremoniously sat on an empty bed, chatting with a brown haired boy. He recognized the brown haired boy as Tristan Taylor and remembered that he was part of the students’ committee. The boy by his side had to be Joey Wheeler. The principal had heard that Wheeler used to be a troublemaker but the boy hadn’t created any troubles while being there. From time to time, Wheeler seemed to steal glances toward Kaiba but mostly his eyes were on Muto. 

The grey haired man felt his headache getting worse as he noticed for the first time since he had walked in the room that two of the school’s most troublesome students were there as well. He had no idea how he failed to notice that Bakura King and Marik Namu where in the room or why he was so surprised they were involved in this too. He had honestly lost count of the times they had been to his office, usually by a frustrated teacher who couldn’t appreciate their strange sense of humor. His headache intensified when both of them gave him a knowing grin.

The nurse returned and handed him a glass of water and two small white pills. “Miss Gardner’s parents will be here soon. They seemed really distressed by the phone call.” She informed him. “Take these. It seems like you need them.” She added knowingly. “Whatever happened here, it’s bad.”

“What happened here, Dolores? Do you have any idea?” The man whispered, downing the pills. “How are all these students involved in whatever this is?”

“I’m not sure, sir. But it has something to do with him.” the nurse looked pointedly at Yugi. “They all seem to be exceptionally protective of him. When they brought him in, I had to argue with the blonde, his friend, and the Ishtar boy to stay out. The white haired student who looks so much like Bakura King was a real help but it was clear that he wanted to be in the room too.” The nurse paused for a moment as the principal took in what he was told. “As for Sennen, it was obvious he wasn’t going to leave Muto alone even for a moment so I didn’t even try. He was the one who carried Muto here. I believe they are involved.” The last part was whispered in such a low voice that the principal almost missed it. “I was concerned he had a broken ankle but fortunately he didn’t. He’ll be okay soon, if he doesn’t push himself too much. Then, as I was about to send everyone to their classes, King and Namu brought Miss Gardner in. I don’t know what the girl has done to them, but it’s clear she isn’t popular among this group of students. The girl was in great pain, her ankle is broken, and seems to blame King and Namu for what happened to her while King blamed her for Muto’s injury.”

The principal scratched his head. That was a bunch of teenage drama he didn’t want to be involved in. Still, he didn’t think Kaiba was there to judge who was at fault, not in that particular incident at least. Whatever had caused the two of them to end up in the nurse’s office wasn’t the reason Kaiba was there. He had undoubtedly cleared his schedule in order to be there that morning and he couldn’t have guessed such an accident would take place. The question was what was so important that had made Kaiba interested enough in the incident to personally visit the school. 

The minutes seemed to roll in an unusually slow rhythm as they waited for Ishizu and the Gardner family. By the time the bell to signal the ending of the first period rang, the principal’s head felt much lighter. Wanting to escape the stiff atmosphere in the nurse’s office created mostly by Kaiba’s presence, he decided he would be the one to inform the other teachers that those nine students needed to be excused for at least the next two periods, just to have an excuse to leave the room. Kaiba had refused to take a seat and rather chose to stand with his back on the wall by the door, his eyes always guarded, showing no emotion. The rest of the students in the room were mostly silent, occasionally whispering among them. Muto seemed to be uneasy, as if he didn’t like whatever was happening, but the rest of the guys seemed to be eager for the show to begin.  
To the nurse’s surprise, the only girl in the room hadn’t said a thing too since the principal’s appearance. Seeing the strong language she had used against King and Namu, the nurse had expected her to plead to the principal as soon as he would appear. Still, the girl hadn’t said a thing but rather kept to her bed, deep in her own thoughts, occasionally touching her ankle and biting her lower lip in pain. The nurse had tried to ease her pain a bit by offering her some painkillers and a cup of tea. Tea had accepted the tea but politely refused to take the painkillers saying she wanted to wait for her parents.

The principal had just arrived after the beginning of the second period when Ishizu Ishtar appeared. Her clear blue eyes similar to a lake’s surface were clouded by fury as she stormed in the nurse’s office. First she noticed Yami checking Yugi’s bandage for the hundredth time. Then, she scanned the room, discarding everyone, even though her eyes became even harder seeing Tea, until she found her target. She crossed the room decisively and hugged her younger brother. 

“Sis, you’re going to choke me,” Malik complained, buried in his sister’s embrace. Ishizu didn’t reply. She just held him closer, and eventually Malik melted in her embrace, enjoying it. His sister had never been one to show her love so openly. “I’m alright, sis. I’m alright. I don’t know why you had to be involved in this,” he said, his eyes on Kaiba as he awkwardly rubbed his sister back, “but I’m sure Kaiba had a good reason.”

“How can you not know? Why didn’t you ever tell me?” Ishizu demanded, finally letting Malik go but still keeping him in a close distance. “Why, Malik?”

Malik scratched the back of his head and looked at his sister smiling sheepishly. “They were just rumors, sis. My friends knew the truth so I didn’t need to-.”

“Ishizu,” Kaiba interrupted Malik, his voice booming strong in the room, “Malik doesn’t know why you’re here. He doesn’t know.” He repeated, understanding filling the woman’s intelligent eyes. “Yugi didn’t tell him.”

A distressed Yugi moved closer to Yami when he found himself the center of everyone’s attention. “Seto, what-.”

“What in the world is happening here?” a voice so similar to Tea’s echoed in the room as a man and a woman around their forties entered the already overcrowded office. “My dear girl, are you alright?” the woman rushed to her daughter’s side, real concern reflecting in her cerulean eyes. 

“Mom! Dad!” Tea finally decided to break her silence as she wrapped her arms around her mother’s waist. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re finally here.” Tears started running down her cheeks. “Oh, mom, I was so scared.”

Mrs. Gardner hugged her daughter, feeling even more concerned. She exchanged a questioning look with her husband before she turned to the principal. “Can someone explain to us what’s going on here? The secretary told us our daughter had an accident. Why are all these people here?” Her eyes suddenly found Yugi and noticed how his leg was bandaged. “Yugi, dear, what happened to you?”

“Mrs. Gardner, I-” Yugi started but once again was interrupted.

“If you could please settle down, I was about to explain to all of you why you were gathered here,” Kaiba’s cold voice broke through the room. 

Tea’s parents gave Kaiba a calculating look. They both knew who he was; they had seen him in the news. But they couldn’t understand what he had to do with their daughter’s injury. Mr. Gardner motioned for him to continue. 

“Some days ago, Solomon Muto contacted me and asked my legal help about a case concerning his grandson, Yugi Muto. He was really worried since he found out his grandson had been receiving some strange and sometimes bordering to threatening notes during the last few months. The messages were mostly focused on making sure Yugi wouldn't have any contact with Yami Sennen whom Miss Tea Gardner was dating back then. When Mr. Muto asked his grandson about these notes, Yugi answered he knew the sender and had dealt with the problem so Mr. Muto dropped the subject. Indeed the messages stopped and Mr. Muto stopped worrying about them. But some days ago Mr. Muto found a note that was different than the others. Another one followed two days ago. That's why he contacted me. The sender signed his notes as " U".” Kaiba took out of his white coat a small bunch of notes. "I gathered all the notes Mr. Muto and I could get our hands on." He passed the notes to the principal. “The signed ones were the ones that brought me here today. I didn’t announce my arrival simply because I needed some more evidence to have this nonsense stopped.”

Kaiba’s voice was extremely cold, making the principal think that whatever was to be revealed in that room was a personal matter for the CEO. Briefly, he wondered if the rumors he’d heard could be true. It wasn’t just the students that had noticed the black limo and its passengers outside the school gates. Some of the staff had noticed them too. Could Yugi Muto be romantically involved with Kaiba? Before his mind could dwell too much into that thought, the principal remembered the nurse’s comment about the two tricolor-haired boys. No. If Muto was Kaiba’s boyfriend, he wouldn’t allow Sennen to hold his hand so intimately, especially in Kaiba’s presence. So why was Yugi so important to Kaiba?   
Wanting to get to the bottom of the matter as soon as possible, the principal started going through the notes.

 

Soon this story will be finished, but what do you think so far? Who’ve sent these notes? What are they about? Aren’t Bakura and Marik marvelous? Ryou is just adorable! What do you think of the nurse and the principal?


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, everyone. I am so sorry that this story was delayed for so long. I can’t believe this story is going on for more than a year. It’s the longest story I’ve ever written. After Chapter 16, an epilogue will follow to properly wrap up this story. It may take a while, but I am working on it.
> 
> As always, I want to thank Sky King Haruka for being my beta reader and reminding me to update the story, and Demon Lionka for reading my chapters and constantly encouraging me through her comments, and for being my friend.

Chapter 16:

The principal wore his glasses and took a good look at the notes. The first thing he noticed was that the ones mentioning Sennen were written by different people; the handwritings were dissimilar. On the other hand, the ones signed as “U” were written by the same person. The more he read, the more concerned he became. Whoever wrote those signed notes was dangerous. His mind was clearly twisted.

“Do you know who wrote these?” he asked, his eyes turned toward Kaiba. “I believe the police should be involved. Mr. Muto may be in danger.” Couldn’t Kaiba see that this was no game? It was no time for theatrics. 

“I assure you that Yugi is well protected.” Kaiba answered curtly. “If it were only in my hands, I would’ve had the police involved the moment I found out about this, but it’s not just about Yugi.” Kaiba paused, his eyes finding those of Ishizu. “Let me elaborate.”

It was clear that Kaiba respected Ishizu because when he looked at her, his eyes lost that cold dark blue shade they had while they were looking at him or the Gardners. Still, the principal felt as if he was watching a well-rehearsed performance. It was as if Kaiba knew exactly what to say and when to say it. He held all the cards and he would reveal them only when he wanted, not a moment earlier. Until then, they were his audience with which he could do as he pleased. The principal didn’t like that idea at all.

“How is our daughter involved in this?” Mrs. Gardner asked, her arms still around her daughter. “Of course we’re concerned about Yugi, but what’s Tea to do with all these?” Her eyes moved from the principal to Kaiba wondering who could answer her question.

“We want to know how our daughter was injured,” Mr. Gardner added, “and why we should stay here listening to you instead of taking her to a doctor.” His voice was stern, but his body betrayed all the signs that he was in defense knowing too well that he had no real power there. 

Kaiba’s eyes shone with the excitement of a tiger which had cornered its prey. Still, it wasn’t Kaiba that answered their questions. It was Yami.

“Your daughter and Yugi were injured because she couldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. She caused Yugi’s injury because she couldn’t take no for an answer. In an attempt to pull him away from me, she tripped him, and fell on him. As for the reason why you should stay here, it’s because she is the one who initiated and artfully orchestrated all this chaos.”

The boy’s words rang with his anger. Yugi soothingly ran his hand on the older boy’s arm, but it did little to relax him. The older tricolor-haired boy hadn’t taken his eyes off the only girl in the room. He was surprised at seeing her being so silent while they were all waiting for Ishizu and her parents, but as soon as she attached herself to her parents, with fake tears on her eyes, Yami knew she was ready to strike back. She was ready to once again twist the truth in order to get what she wanted, and he wouldn’t allow such a thing to happen.

“Mr. Gardner, I had been dating your daughter for the past few months, as you already know. I was under the impression she was a nice person, a girl who would do anything for her friends. During these months, I saw many hints that contradicted what I thought I knew about her, but I kept ignoring them. Only after our break up did I realize how twisted her mind was.

“How dare you insult my daughter that way?!” Mr. Gardner shouted, standing up. “We thought you were a good guy. We allowed you to date our daughter and now you spread all these lies about her.”

“Lies? Your daughter spreads lies left and right, all in an effort to destroy people, trap them as effectively as a spider cocooning her poor victim. I can name at least three victims of her in here, including myself.” Yami was so close to losing it that Yugi thought his boyfriend would burst into flames right in front of him.

The man was furious. He couldn’t understand what kind of game these people played or how his daughter was involved, but he knew there was something about the way all of them had been gathered there. It was no coincidence and it had nothing to do with his daughter’s injury. As a logical man, he was ready to hear them out, but how could he believe those insults about his daughter? 

As if on cue, Tea started crying even louder in her mother’s embrace. “They’re lying, daddy. They’re liars. They all want to destroy me. I don’t know what I’ve done to them!”  
"Oh, shut up!" Malik was the first to snap, his patience having run out a long time ago. "I can't take this anymore. I can't keep hearing her voice." 

Before anyone could protest, he rushed out of the office with Marik on his heels. 

Tea smirked in triumph but when her mother looked at her, she managed to turn it into a grimace. "Do you see how they treat me, mom?"

"Tea," Yugi's voice came soft after Malik's outburst, "please, that's enough." The young tricolor haired boy sounded tired, his amethyst eyes begging for this chaos to come to an end. "It's over."

Tea and Yugi stayed for a while looking at each other, a silent conversation going between them. Yugi titled his head toward his hand that was entwined with Yami’s. His lips shaped a soft smile as Yami squeezed his hand, reassuringly. The older tri-color haired boy turned to look at the girl, too. His eyes promised retribution for all that she’d done. It was then that Tea knew it was over. No matter what she would do, Yugi was lost to her. Not only that but Yami’s confidence and Kaiba’s appearance made apparent there was a plan at work. At last, Tea looked away and nodded, defeated. It was over, indeed. She had lost. 

"Game over." she whispered, the ghost of a bitter smile on her lips. "Go on, Kaiba. The stage is yours."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow but started talking nevertheless. He told his audience of Tea's fascination with Yugi and the twisted way she went about getting him to be her boyfriend by stealing Yami from him. He explained how she broke up with Yami when she thought Yugi was ready for her and how she spread lies that Yami was abusive in order to be sure Yugi wouldn't allow Yami back in his life. 

"Still this school drama could have been dealt with without my lawyers being involved." Kaiba proclaimed, seeing Ishizu's questioning look. "But Miss Gardner's plans became a little bit too dangerous for my liking. You see, Tea knew Yugi's friends were protective of him and wouldn't let him fall hard enough for her to be his only choice. She also had a personal grudge against Malik Ishtar, sparked mostly by his relationship with Marik Namu, so she started spreading lies about Malik aiming on having him isolated. Unfortunately for her, her plan backfired. Not only his friends didn’t isolate him, they actually made sure those rumors affected Malik as little as possible. Yugi was especially protective of Malik, spending even more time with his friend than usual. Of course that only fueled Tea’s anger. And that’s when she had a new idea.”

Tea hung her head hearing Kaiba telling the story, revealing her secrets. “Malik always hated me. I hated him too. He monopolized Yugi’s time by telling him stories about Egypt and stuff like the Millennium Items. I’ve always hated history while Yugi loved it. I couldn’t compete there. But it wasn’t just that. I knew Malik wanted Yugi as more than a friend. He had no problem announcing he was…is…a homosexual. I didn’t want him to taint Yugi.” 

“Taint him? It’s not a sickness, Tea. It’s love.” Ryou’s voice came soft yet strong. “Loving someone can’t be limited by gender, color, or ethnicity. When you fall in love, all that matters is this person’s heart, their personality, the core that is them. Everything else is just a shell.” His eyes shone brightly as he looked at his boyfriend. “That’s what you’ve never understood.”

“Tea, I love him.” Yugi said with a smile that could light up the whole room. “It was always him. I don’t care if he is a boy. I wouldn’t care even if he was green. I know my heart beats for him and that’s all that matters. One day you will find someone to love the same way I love Yami and he will love you back. Then, you will know what true love feels like.”  
The young tri-color haired boy moved closer to his boyfriend who wrapped his arms around the fragile body. “You were a good friend to me for years, but you and I have nothing in common. You said it yourself. I love history while you hate it. Your passion is dancing, mine is games and books. Your idea of an enjoyable night is going out to the mall or somewhere exciting while mine is a night surrounded by friends, playing board games or watching a movie. It would never work, Tea.”

The brunette stayed silent hearing the boy she thought she would win over tell her the cruel truth. She knew that she and Yugi barely had anything in common. She had tried to be interested in games and books but she couldn’t get the rules of the games and she preferred being out shopping rather than inside reading a book. A part of her wanted to give up, admit her defeat, and get it over with. But there was a voice in her mind…a sweet sick voice telling her that if she went down, they had to go down too. It was that voice that took pleasure in all the troubles she had created for Yugi’s friends. It was that voice that made even her cringe sometimes.

“Excuse me,” Mr. Gardner interrupted, feeling uncomfortable hearing about his daughter’s attempts to date Yugi as well as Ryou and Yugi’s little speeches, “all these sound romantic and all, but I ask again, why are we here? Why is my daughter injured and why aren’t we allowed to take her to a doctor?”

“That’s because your daughter took things a bit too far, making this whole matter my business.” Kaiba decided it was a good time to continue his explanations. “When things didn’t work out as she wanted, she got furious. She wanted Malik gone from Yugi’s life, but Yugi became more protective of his friend. Then, when Miss Gardner had started despairing, a wonderful opportunity presented itself to her. But you don’t have to take my words to heart. You can hear Miss Gardner herself explaining to you what happened.”  
With those words, he took out of his pocket his phone and pushed a button. Tea’s voice flowed in the crowded room and the girl’s heart immediately sunk. He had recorded her!  
“I’m talking about Ushio, of course. He wanted a piece of the school’s bitch so he followed Malik home. I can only imagine what he had in mind. But Yugi noticed him stalking your boy-toy and made it his mission that Malik would never walk to or from school alone. He made sure someone was always with him. Yugi even confronted Ushio one day after school. He told that gorilla that he had evidence he was stalking Malik. He threatened him to take those evidence to the police.”

Marik’s voice was heard next, full of anger. “You’re telling me that my boyfriend was almost attacked and he and Yugi were in danger because of the rumors you spread around the school? You’re telling me that you knew Ushio was stalking Malik and yet you didn’t tell anyone? That’s what you’re telling me, Tea Gardner?”

“Answer me!” Marik growled loudly.

“Yes!” Tea screamed. “I wanted him out of the way because he wanted Yugi! He was the one who would always try the hardest to have Yugi’s attention, and I couldn’t have Yugi be a homosexual’s love interest! I don’t understand what Yugi saw in him or in any of you!”

Kaiba pushed a button and Tea’s voice stopped echoing in the room. For a moment there was utter silence as everyone was too shocked by the revelations to talk. Then, Ishizu saw her brother, who had just returned to the room in time to listen to the recording, hide his face in his boyfriend’s arms, and the spell of shock broke. 

“How could you?!” Ishizu screamed at Tea, her composed façade all but gone. Her regal posture mixed with the air of authority her job gave her made her positively feral. Her brother was all she had and she could have lost him because of that girl’s iniquity. 

“Yugi! You could have been seriously hurt!” Yami shouted at the same time, his eyes wide realizing what could have happened to the young boy if his bluff hadn’t worked. His crimson eyes were full of concern and incredibility thinking of the danger that threatened his beloved boyfriend.

“Tea, how could you?!” the brunette’s parents were horrified by the revelations about their daughter. How could their sweet girl do such a despicable thing? Their faith on their daughter’s innocence had been seriously shaken and finally the weight and seriousness of the situation hit them.

Amidst the chaos that erupted, Kaiba was the only calm one, not moving an inch from his original position. The principal was much disconcerted by what he had heard, but his years of experience as a teacher and later on a principal helped him control his emotions. Still, he was saddened that such events had taken place in his school and no one had known about it. It was his job to make sure his students were safe, yet he had failed them. Unfortunately, he was afraid Kaiba wasn’t done with them.

“If I could have your attention for another minute.” Kaiba’s voice broke the cacophony of voices in the office when it was clear Ishizu was about to attack Tea, not carrying about the consequences of her actions. 

“Is there more?” Mrs. Gardner asked in panic. How could her sweet little girl do all these things? What else could she have done? She would have broken Yugi’s spirit and heart in order to have him, even though clearly he didn’t want that kind of attention from her. She would have a boy raped in order to get Yugi!

“Actually, there is one more recording I would like you to listen to. It was so hard getting this, but I believe the result was worth my while.” A cold smile crossed Kaiba’s lips making the Gardners shiver. 

“…Then that bitch, Tea, came to me and told me she had found me a new toy. Malik Ishtar, such an exotic toy to play with.” Ushio’s voice was easily recognized by the principal who could only cringe to what he would hear next. “She told me I could grab him at the ally by his house on Friday, after school, because he always walked alone on that day and no one waited for him at home. She was wrong, but who cared? It was little Yugi that walked Ishtar home that day and almost every day after that.” Ushio laughed, the sound coming closer to barking. “Why have one pet when I could have two?” Another laugh mixed with a growl. “But then Yugi comes and tells me all about having evidence of my ‘stalking’ and that boy never lies. Even worse, Kaiba is all around him and no one messes with that guy. But I want Yugi and I will have him. No one has ever stood up to me and little Yugi is too pretty for a boy, don’t you think so? The notes will make him come to me. It’s either that, or Namu will have no toy to play with. No. Yugi will be mine!” 

Kaiba stopped the recording. For the first time since the moment he walked in the room, his eyes betrayed the fury that was caged inside him. “There is more to this recording but that was for the police to hear. You will be pleased to know that Ushio was arrested last night. I have no doubt Yugi would have endangered himself to save Malik but Yugi never received any of those notes. His grandfather and I made sure he wouldn’t be involved. I carefully laid my trap making Ushio think Yugi would meet him. After that, I let the police to do their job. Of course they want to talk to Miss Granger too, but I convinced them to give me some time before they called her to the police station.” His smile was so chillingly cold that the Gardners shuddered.

No one spoke for a full minute, absorbing the information Kaiba had given them. As the principal looked around, it became obvious to him that no one but Kaiba himself knew everything. The group of boys had some kind of plan to stop Tea, but Kaiba had his own plans altogether and no one else knew about them. They were all so shaken by what Ushio had planned for Malik first and then Yugi that no one could speak. Even Tea seemed to be shaken by the idea of Ushio being anywhere close to Yugi.

“Why were you so interested in Muto?” the principal asked, his voice barely a whisper but strong enough to be heard in the silence of the room.

Kaiba had spent weeks, weeks he could have used working, and resources to make sure Yugi was well protected. He surely had someone following him, probably making sure Yugi was unaware of the fact. He had gathered and kept secret the notes so Yugi wouldn’t be distressed or tempted to put himself into danger’s way. He had helped to make sure Sennen and he would be together and justice would be dealt in both Ushio and Tea’s cases. But he still didn’t understand why Kaiba of all people was suddenly so interested in Yugi?

Another smile, a soft one, one that the principal would have never thought could grace the lips of such a cold man, appeared on Kaiba’s face. “That’s because Yugi is my cousin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before I updated the story, I re-read it, and to be honest I’ve never loved a story I’ve written more than this story. I am actually sad it’s almost the end. I’d like to hear what you think about this chapter and what you think will happen next. Thank you, everyone, for your reviews.


	17. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone. It’s been so long since my last update.   
> I am so sorry. It’s true that life kept me busy, but I think the reason it took me so long to write this epilogue is that I wasn’t ready to let this story go. I may end up coming back to it, adding chapters about incidents that are referred to the story or what happened next, but I don’t promise you anything. 
> 
> So, here is the epilogue. Everything is explained here, and the story comes to a full cycle. 
> 
> I want to thank my dear Bakura who motivated me to finish this as well as a certain wolf for going through this for me.

Epilogue:

Soft moonlight entered a small bedroom above the Kame Game store gently caressing the face of a young boy as he peacefully slept in his bed with a soft smile on his lips. Yugi Muto no longer spent his nights looking up at the night sky with wistful eyes, reminiscent of the past. His sleep was no longer a series of longing dreams and painful nightmares. No, Yugi was serenely sleeping that night, his dreams focused on the excitement the sun would bring with it in the morning. 

Winter break was a reality for the students in Japan. Everyone was so excited to start their holidays, but no one was as excited as Yugi. Seto had rented a mansion on the mountainside so Mokuba and Joey could learn how to ski. He had invited Yugi to come with them and bring whoever else he wanted. Naturally, Yugi had invited everyone, knowing Seto wanted them there but wouldn’t invite them himself. So, not only Yugi would spend the whole week with his friends playing in the snow and trying to ski, but he would spend that week with Yami too!

“Yami.” Yugi’s soft voice broke the silence of the night as the boy let out a soft sigh, naturally dreaming of his boyfriend.

Yugi couldn’t believe how much his life had changed in the period of two months. No, if he wanted to be honest with himself, everything had changed in less than a week. That’s how long it had taken him and his friends to change their lives and it had started with Marik’s outrageous idea of forcing Yami to admit he loved Yugi. Yugi would never stop feeling grateful for Marik’s foolishness and his friends’ willingness to follow that madness to make him happy.

Two months ago, the gang had come together in order to bring the two tricolor-haired boys together. While they were playing their game, Seto Kaiba was playing his own game—a more dangerous one. The day Yugi and Tea were injured, Seto revealed to everyone that Ushio had targeted Yugi and Malik, wishing to harm them in ways no one wanted to put into words. Even though Tea wasn’t aware of Ushio’s obsession with Yugi, she was responsible of that whole mess too. The gang had wanted to ruin Tea’s reputation the same way she had ruined Malik and Marik’s. They wanted to expose the truth behind her lies while unmasking the Tea that hid behind the innocent façade. It was a great shock to them to see how close to danger two of their dearest friends had come and what catastrophic effects Tea’s rumors had. 

After that eventful day in the nurse’s office, Tea had been led to the hospital where the doctors found out her ankle was broken but no permanent damaged was caused. After she was released from the hospital, the police stepped in and questioned her for hours after which they brought in a psychiatrist for an evaluation. The psychiatrist needed more sessions with her but he was sure there was a disorder there. Her disorder hadn’t completely taken over her but it was enough to lead her into the decisions she made. It was hard for her to be emphatic so she couldn’t understand how other people felt and she was drown in her self-importance stemmed by her low self-esteem. Praised as she always was, she ended up thinking she was higher than everyone while deep down she was afraid no one would really care for her if they knew how shallow she was. Moved by Yugi, Seto and his lawyers, who represented both Solomon Muto and Ishizu Ishtar, asked that Tea would be hospitalized until she had her disorder under control. They had decided not to push charges against her as long as that demand was answered. Yugi couldn’t see Tea as anything but a sick person who needed help. 

That day in the nurse’s office was nothing but pure craziness. Seto of course was the orchestrator of the performance given all in the benefit of his young cousin. Everyone but Yugi had been shocked to find out Yugi was Seto’s cousin. However, even Seto didn’t know Yugi knew, or at least suspected they were related. They had discussed that after Tea had been released to the care of her parents to visit a hospital, with two of Seto’s men following them of course. 

“Is it true that you are Yugi’s cousin, or was it just an excuse to get out of explaining our crazy dynamics?” Joey asked Seto when they found themselves back at Seto’s mansion.

Everyone had been given the day off in order to recover from the shock of the day. Yugi and Malik would be questioned by a policewoman that same evening under the watchful eye of Seto’s lawyer. 

“It’s true.” Seto admitted. 

“Did you know?” Joey asked Yugi, turning to face the tri-color haired boy who was enjoying a cup of coco with his boyfriend.

Yugi thought about it and ran his hand through his hair nervously. “To be honest, I was suspecting it, but I wasn’t sure. I didn’t even have the time to ponder on it for long because this idea came to me some days before you started planning how to get Yami back to me. It was something my grandfather mentioned that made me think of it. One day he was really shaken, but he wouldn’t tell me why. But he kept muttering something about how he should have looked into my mother’s side more and how they eye color was the same. Then that same day I found him going through my mother’s family album as if he was searching for something. All these had happened after Seto had a talk with him a day he had come to get Mokuba from my house.”

Yugi seemed deep in thoughts. “I don’t know exactly why I started thinking of it, but I guess it was the photograph. There was a girl there with my mother, and her eyes were so similar to Mokuba’s it was uncanny. But her hair was the same brown hue as Seto’s. Still, Seto never said anything about us being related so I didn’t question him and of course with everything else coming up, I didn’t even think of it again.”

Joey turned to look at Seto once again, expecting an explanation. For a while, everyone thought that was all they would get about that matter. “Yugi Muto is the most troublesome person I have ever known. From the first moment I met him, he had been nothing but trouble to me” Seto said in his cold, business-like voice. Everyone got defensive, but Seto didn’t stop. “There was something about that little boy that used to laugh and walk around as if he was a source of light. Quiet and reserved but also very open, he was an enigma. At first I thought the reason I enjoyed pondering over him was because he reminded me a bit of Mokuba but surely that couldn’t be the reason. I am not really sentimental.” Seto almost chuckled. “Since Yugi wasn’t in any of my classes, I didn’t need to worry about him. Quite often I wouldn’t even think about him, but he would often come to school with a new game, excitedly showing it to his friends, and that would spark my interest. But I didn’t feel the need to get involved with him until he was brought into my home, injured, after defending my brother.”

Seto thought back to that day. Out of all the people that could have saved Mokuba, Yugi Muto was the one who came to his rescue. Yugi who was also bullied, but had never tried to defend himself before, had put himself in harm’s way to defend a boy he didn’t even know. Seto had come home as fast as possible upon hearing Mokuba had been in trouble only to find his brother cheerfully talking about video games with the tricolor-haired boy who seemed to be in a great deal of pain but never for a moment let the younger boy think his company was unwanted. After checking on his brother, Seto made sure Yugi’s injuries were seen to by his personal doctor. He thanked Yugi and asked how he could repay him since he didn’t like being indebted to anyone. Yugi seemed surprised by the question, but the boy simply asked for a ride home because it was late and his grandfather would be worried.

That same night Seto went to his office and opened the file he had on Yugi. He had someone search his background a year ago, wanting to know what was so special about Yugi. The research revealed a great surprise—Yugi and the Kaiba brothers were third cousins related through their mothers. It was after that research that Seto had decided to stop concerning himself with Yugi until Yugi made an appearance in his life through Mokuba. He didn’t want to have anything to do with any family members. No one had ever cared about the Kaiba brothers so why would he care about any relatives of his? Re-reading the file, Seto started to understand that nothing in there would ever explain the enigma that Yugi Muto was. 

“Ah, that’s why you were so suspicious of me in the beginning!” Yugi exclaimed upon hearing Seto’s explanations.

“You never told me Yugi was my cousin!” Mokuba shouted almost hurt. He was related to Yugi by blood. Yugi was really a part of his family.

“You didn’t need to know. You liked Yugi anyway. What difference would it make?” Seto shrugged.

Seto didn’t want to admit that he didn’t want anyone to know he was related to Yugi because at first he thought Yugi had approached them with some sort of motive, and then because he didn’t want Yugi to stay with them because of a blood relation. Yugi had turned out to be a greater trouble than Seto had suspected because somehow the kid had found a way to tame him. He had turned out to be his first and only friend until he was forced into the gang. In the end, Solomon Muto had no idea Yugi was related to them either. Seto had revealed the truth to the old man when he had found out Yugi was in trouble. That was why Yugi’s grandfather had allowed him to take care of Ushio.

The story wasn’t a complicated one. Yugi’s mother had been disowned by her family for not marrying the man her family had chosen for her and wasn’t allowed any contact with any family members. Seto and Mokuba’s mother had dearly loved her cousin but her spirit had been so broken by her first husband and after his death her second husband that she never even thought of contacting her family, disowned or not. That’s why Seto and Mokuba had grown up alone. 

Secretly, Seto liked the idea of being related to Yugi but that didn’t mean everyone needed to know that. Yugi had managed to warm himself into his life and become another member to his little family without using his DNA as a certification. But if Seto had a choice in deciding one person he would want to be related to that would be Yugi. So it was fine.

“Shouldn’t we discuss how Mr. I-Am-Rich searched Yugi’s background just because he couldn’t figure him out?” Bakura asked, looking at Seto with a new-found respect.  
Everyone looked at Seto who simply sipped his tea without answering. Yugi shrugged, and so the subject was dropped. 

“Will Tea return to school after her hospitalization?” Mokuba asked, hoping his question his question would distract the others enough to leave his brother alone. The young boy had been informed of everything that had happened as soon as he was done with his lessons, but no one knew what would happen to Tea. 

“No. It will take quite some time for her to be released, I am sure, but she won’t come back here.” Seto answered coldly. “The school’s board will come together soon and decide she won’t be accepted back. Her parents have already talked to my lawyers. Mr. Gardner had an offer for a job in America prior to this incident. He decided to accept the position and move his family there. He believes his daughter will get a better treatment for her condition in America; he knows a good place for her. My lawyers will keep a watchful eye on her case. She won’t be a bother for us anymore.”

Yugi sighed. He didn’t like how things had turned out. Even after all the trouble she had caused everyone, he couldn’t forget she was once his playmate. Yami placed a reassuring arm around his boyfriend. “It’s the best for her, little one.” He said softly.

Tea had harmed Yami in many ways and he couldn’t find it in his heart to forgive her yet, but he couldn’t deny that the girl was sick. He just didn’t want anything to do with her anymore. He didn’t want to focus anymore on the past. There was a glorious future ahead of him to live with his boyfriend.

“Yugi.” Yami sighed in his sleep, deep in a dream involving himself sitting in a park with his boyfriend dancing among the flowers.

When the first sunrays of the day weakly pushed their way through the thick curtains of Yami’s room, they found the energetic boy already up and on the move. His suitcase was already ready but he made sure to check everything over in order to be sure he hadn’t forgotten anything. There was especially a small package in his things he wanted to make sure it wouldn’t be forgotten. It was a gift for Yugi. Yami planned to give it to his boyfriend as an early Christmas gift and a two months anniversary gift. 

After a quick breakfast with his mother and a kiss on her cheek, Yami rushed out of his house only to find the well-known black limo waiting for him.

“You’re late.” Seto greeted him with instead of good morning.

“Good morning to you, too, sunshine.” Yami greeted him with sarcasm as he took his place in the limo.

Everyone was already there. Marik and Malik were sitting together even though Ishizu was in the limo too. After seeing how protective Marik was of her brother, Ishizu had been a bit more relaxed around the older Egyptian boy. Seto had insisting upon inviting Ishizu too, and since the young woman had some days off too, she decided to take his offer. 

Bakura and Ryou were there as well. Bakura was teasing his boyfriend about the thick jacket he wore. Ryou didn’t quite enjoy the coldness. Joey was another one who didn’t enjoy the cold weather. He wore two sweaters that made him look quite puffy much to Seto’s amusement. Half asleep lying on Seto’s lap was Mokuba who didn’t enjoy waking up early in the mornings. Serenity and Tristan sat on opposites sides of the limo but they were discussing what they would do once they would reach the mountain. Joey was too sleepy at that moment to care, or so everyone thought.

“Let me guess. You left Yugi for last hoping he will be awake by the time we reach Kame shop.” Yami said, amused. Everyone knew his boyfriend was really hard to wake up in the morning. “Good news, everyone. Yugi is up and waiting for us. He called me some moments ago.” Everyone sighed in relief. “He woke up extra early today. He’s so excited about our winter break.”

Yugi was indeed waiting for them when the limo stopped in front of the Kame shop. His things were taken care of and Yugi joined them after saying his goodbyes to his grandfather. No sooner than he was in the car, Yami pulled him in his arms. Sheepishly, Yugi greeted everyone and curled in Yami’s arms. The boy was a bubble of undying energy and he spent the whole trip to the mountains talking to everyone, making sure no one would sleep or get bored. Seto, who wouldn’t go anywhere without his laptop, spent most of the trip working, but he would occasionally stop and look at his little family feeling peaceful.

He was glad their life was back to normal, crazy as it was, it was the right kind of crazy. He still made sure Sennen wouldn’t get too comfortable in Yugi’s life, but he could see Yami was honest about his feelings towards Yugi. He had reluctantly agreed to let Yami join them in their break extracting a promise from Yugi that each boy would have a separate room. Both boys were okay with it. On the other hand, Marik was beyond furious that he had to stay away from his boyfriend during the night, but Ishizu wouldn’t even think of letting Malik share a bed with him. Since Marik would be away from his boyfriend, he had made Seto do the same about Bakura and Ryou stating that if he was to go without his kitten, Bakura had to give up his bunny too. Bakura in turn asked for Seto to give up his puppy, but Seto simply answered that it was his house, his rules. In the end, Bakura agreed to be good. Seto suspected that the white haired boy would find a way to Ryou’s room. Bakura was never good.

Yugi was the first to leave the limo when they reached the village. Mokuba followed soon after. They had to stop there and change vehicles in order to reach the mountain mansion Seto had rented. Everything was ready for them and the mansion was fully equipped for Seto, Mokuba and their ten guests. Yugi and Mokuba’s excitement was contagious. Everyone was so excited about their break. Even though it didn’t take them long to reach the mansion, Yami sighed in relief when he was able to breathe the crisp mountain air. The climb had been bumpy and had made him queasy. 

“Are you alright?” Yugi asked with concern coloring his voice as he rubbed his boyfriend’s back. 

A soft smile was shaped on Yami’s lips as he nodded. Yugi beamed at him and they both grabbed their luggage making their way toward the huge mansion.   
“Malik and I will join you in a bit.” Marik shouted to be heard as he stayed behind looking at a pale Malik. The ride had been quite difficult for the boy, too. Some fresh air would do him good. Ishizu didn’t seem to worry as she followed Kaiba so everyone joined them in the mansion.

Everyone placed their luggage to the rooms Seto had assigned to them and then toured the mansion. There was a spacious kitchen, a dining room, a living room, a billiards room to Marik and Bakura’s delight, and a theater room that Ryou, Mokuba, Malik, and Yugi couldn’t wait to try. There were also a series of bathrooms and a sauna room that Ishizu had her eyes on, as well as an office that would serve as Seto’s office during their stay there. The mansion belonged to a famous businessman, Pegasus Crawford, and his wife, but he would often rent it to some of his partners, such as Seto Kaiba. It was the perfect place for someone to relax enjoying the nature but also not miss the luxuries they were used to.  
“So, what are we going to do first?” Ryou asked, excitement coloring his voice. 

The white haired boy had been much more relaxed since Tea had left the school. He and Bakura could show their affection without worrying about her. Her friends didn’t know all the details about what had happened to Tea but they knew enough to leave the gang alone. Ryou soon discovered that no one cared if he was with Bakura or a girl. The people who mattered to him didn’t change their attitude toward him. 

“Snow fight!” Bakura and Marik screamed in unison.

They knelt in the fluffy white ground, their hands ready to shape balls of snow when they were both hit. Surprised and shocked, they looked at their snow-covered sweaters and then at the two tricolor haired boys sporting similar grins on their faces. Soon, the mountain hill was filled with laughing and shouting voices as the boys fought each other in the fresh snow. Yami, Yugi, and Mokuba were a team. Serenity, Tristan, and Joey made another one. Bakura and Ryou had joined forces with Malik and Marik, a formidable team that had managed to take down Joey’s team way too fast for the blonde’s liking. Yami’s team had taken cover in the first row of trees at the forest close to the mansion. Ryou and Malik were already out, but not before taking out Mokuba, while Marik and Bakura were slowly trying to sneak on the tricolor haired duo. 

“There he is.” Marik whispered to Bakura, as they made out Yami’s shape half hidden behind a tree. Yami threw a snowball to them, but Bakura moved to the side avoiding it. Yami took some steps back, taking cover behind some bushes, but it was clear he was cornered. Marik and Bakura grinned at each other and got ready to take out their friend when they were ambushed. The snowballs seemed to have fallen from the sky. Unable to understand what had happened, they both stood there looking at each other. 

“I guess we won.” Yami said, approaching his friends laughing. 

“But how?” Marik asked, still confused.

A soft giggle answered his question. It was coming from the lowest branches of a thick tree. “Yugi, love, come out.” Yami called out softly, and Yugi revealed himself.   
Yami had helped him climb on one of the lowest branches of the tree and Yugi had used some of the smaller branches to conceal himself. Yami had lulled them beneath the tree and Yugi had thrown the snowballs on them. A well laid trap, and the older boys had fallen for it.

“It’s surprising you managed to get Yugi up there.” Bakura commented as he and Marik helped Yugi get down without breaking anything. “The shrimp is well… a shrimp, and you aren’t the tallest of us.” He smirked at his crimson-eyed friend and Yami narrowed his eyes on him. “Here you are, shrimp.” He added as he placed Yugi softly on the ground.  
Yugi laughed again, not caring that he was called a shrimp. He knew Bakura was only teasing him. He rubbed his hands on his sweater and jumped when Yami suddenly grabbed his hands examining them. Surprised, he noticed that his hands were scratched and bloody. He hadn’t noticed in the excitement of the game that he had scratched his hands while climbing and trying to rip the branches. Sheepishly, he smiled at his boyfriend who seemed more concerned than him about his injury. Yami was still quite overprotective when it came to Yugi.

Hungry as wolves after playing in the snow, the boys returned to the mansion where they found Serenity, Tristan, Joey, and Mokuba setting the table. They had all insisted they wouldn’t need a cook as they could take care of their cooking. Ishizu had offered to cook lunch that day. After a quick shower, everyone sat to eat her food. Ishizu and Seto started talking about Ishizu’s work with Yugi and Yami listening carefully. They both had a great interest in history after all. Malik and Ryou were trying to persuade their boyfriends to watch a Disney movie with them. They ended up agreeing to watch Lion King because Bakura thought Scar was a cool character.

Lying in his bed that night, Yugi felt content. Everything he ever wanted was there, in that mansion. He had his friends, a group of people that he was tied to with ties stronger than familial ones, and he had his boyfriend, his wonderful Yami. A soft smile played on the boy’s lips. He knew that he was one of the luckiest people in the world. 

He was about to close his eyes, when a soft knock made him sit up. The door opened slowly and Yami walked in. He was dressed in a pair of dark red pajamas and he held two cups of cocoa in his hands. He walked deeper in the room and sat by his boyfriend, offering him one of the two cups.

“I couldn’t resist seeing you one more time before sleeping.” Yami said sheepishly. They had spent the whole day together, but for some reason he couldn’t get enough of Yugi. Yugi giggled and sipped his cocoa. It was sweet with a touch of cinnamon, as he liked it. He and Yami spend some minutes talking about their plans for the following day, drinking their cocoa. When it was clear Yugi couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore, Yami kissed his boyfriend’s forehead, gathered the cups and prepared to leave. But Yugi didn’t seem to want that. Grasping his boyfriend’s sleeve, he tugged on it shyly.

“Please, stay.”

Such a simple request. It reminded him of the first night they spent together in Kaiba’s mansion. Once again, Yami had to go against Kaiba’s wishes but who cared about that when his boyfriend was looking at him with such a pleading face. Cups abandoned on the desk by Yugi’s bed, Yami got under the blankets. Immediately, Yugi snuggled on him, a sigh of happiness leaving his lips. No matter what Seto would say in the morning, Yami didn’t care. That was where he belonged. His mind drifted to the small package hidden in the depths of his suitcase. He would make sure to wake up early and wake up his boyfriend by giving him his gift. He was sure Yugi would like it.

He was about to close his eyes when he thought he heard the door next to Yugi’s room quietly open and close. A smile was shaped on Yami’s lips knowing Bakura had found his way in Ryou’s room. He also knew Malik had left his window open expecting Marik to join him for the night. Knowing he wouldn’t be the only one scolded in the morning filled the boy with mirth. As sleep claimed him, he chuckled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I immensely enjoyed writing this story and it was a wonderful surprise seeing how many of you loved it. Thank you so much for staying with me. Hopefully, I will be back with a new story soon. I’m more than happy to answer any of your questions, so don’t hesitate to review or PM me.


End file.
